Captain: Rashid Khan
Games: Uganda (June 4), New Zealand (June 8), Papua New Guinea (June 14), West Indies (June 18)
Best T20 World Cup result: Super Eight.
Afghanistan enter the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup as one of the dark horses poised to pull off an upset and showcase their fearless brand of cricket, according to their former coach Stuart Law.
The 2010 debutants have reached the Super Eight stage in each of the last three editions of the tournament – steady progress since first-round exits in their first three attempts.
Law believes Afghanistan are not far from reaching the knockout stages and this could happen in the 2024 edition of the tournament in the United States and West Indies in June.
“I love the way they play cricket. There’s no fear in the way they do it,” Law, who now manages the US national team, told Al Jazeera.
“They are always aggressive, always attacking. I haven’t seen many defenders and defenders don’t seem to be part of the main team.
“So they’re very positive in the way they do it.”
Their courage was evident late last year in India, where they finished sixth, by the slimmest of margins, behind Pakistan and failed to qualify for the semi-finals despite an inspired run in the second half of the round-robin stage.
After just three appearances at the Cricket World Cup, Afghanistan finished ahead of former champions England and Sri Lanka.
This time, they open their tournament campaign on June 4 against newcomers Uganda, in a group that also includes New Zealand, co-hosts West Indies and Papa New Guinea.
‘Strong and powerful boys’
Law, who coached Afghanistan in 2022, believes Rashid Khan’s side is ready to do more than just cause some disruption.
“They are all naturally talented and have height too – they are big, strong, powerful boys,” Law said.
“They just need that intelligence sometimes to overcome certain situations.”
Afghanistan have one of the strongest bowling line-ups, with top limited-overs spinners Rashid, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad in the team, along with the experienced and all-rounder Mohammad Nabi.
AfghanAtalan is sweating as he prepares for the 2024 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. #AfghanAtalan | #T20WorldCup | #GloriousNationVictoriousTeam pic.twitter.com/aJ42LJjyMl
– Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) May 26, 2024
It is in the batting department that Law believes Afghanistan must improve to advance.
“Their batting has improved with some of the younger players coming in,” Law said.
The former Australian player highlighted Ibrahim Zadran as “one of the coolest players to watch”.
“He has learned a lot over the last few years and is starting to put in some really positive performances in international cricket,” Law said.
“Afghanistan needs a few more hitters who can grab him by the scruff of the neck and drag him forward in order to do some damage in big tournaments.”
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, the swashbuckling wicketkeeper-batsman, showed pedigree to support Zadran at the top of the batting order.
He will join the Afghan squad following a title-winning spell with his Indian Premier League franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders.
Skipper Rashid himself is a destructive middle-order hitter and has helped score near-winning targets on several occasions.
Rashid, Nabi and the other “big boys” will have to dig a little deeper to advance to knockouts.
Three players to watch
Rashid Khan: Probably their biggest star and most important player. For Afghanistan to have a great World Cup, Rashid must shine as a bowler, lower order batsman and captain. The wily leg spinner is capable of stopping the attacks of some of the world’s greatest batsmen.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman: Rashid’s spin partner and another lethal weapon in his arsenal. Mujeeb’s ability to stem the flow of runs in the early part of the innings and help his team bowl out opposing batsmen will be key in what could be spin-friendly pitches in the US and Caribbean.
Mohammed Nabi: Nabi brings decades of experience to this Afghanistan side who are hoping to go one step further than their last three T20 World Cup matches. His organized spin and responsible batting in the middle order can be a calming influence on his young teammates.
This story originally appeared on Aljazeera.com read the full story
