Afghanistan - a minnow that becomes world-beater
Cricket
Afghanistan – a minnow that becomes world-beater
By Anees-ur-Rehman
Afghanistan have made remarkable strides in the international cricket. Despite facing many challenges, the war-torn country has shown grit, passion and spirit for the sport in recent times.
The Afghan side continues to inspire the cricket fans with their scintillating performance in the recent world cup, beating the leading teams of the mega event with ease. They have emerged as a real surprise package of the world cup.
Showcasing their talent and resilience at the highest level, the Afghanistan team is poised to become a formidable competitor in the days and months to come.
History
Afghanistan’s cricket journey is a tale of resilience, passion and triumph against all odds. Their journey began in refugee camps established in Pakistan by the Afghans fleeing the war against the Soviets in the 1980s.
Millions of Afghans sought refuge for nearly 40 years in camps outside Peshawar, where they learnt the sport while living in Pakistan.
Most of the Afghanistan national cricket team players grew up in Pakistan and took part in the domestic cricket with the support of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
With minimum resources at their disposal, cricket started to flourish among the Afghan youth in 1990s.
Milestones
The turning point arrived in 1995 when the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) was formed, and Afghanistan earned its affiliate membership from the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001.
Their resilience on the field caught global attention, and they secured their ODI status in 2009.
In 2010, they made their debut in the T20 world cup and have taken part in multiple tournaments since 2015.
Adding another feather to their cap, the spirited Afghanistan achieved full member status of ICC in 2017.
A pool of talented players
The team revolves around young talent and seasoned players who have become household names.
Stars like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Hashmatullah Shahidi (captain), Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, and Azmatullah Omarzai have earned respect globally for their exceptional skills.
Many Afghan players are now showcasing their skills regularly in top domestic tournaments such as Indian Premier League, Pakistan Super League, and Big Bash League.
Rise to prominence
When it comes to World Cup 2023, Afghanistan announced their arrival in a grand fashion, beating the three former world champions - England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Despite the record-breaking victories, the Afghan side could not make it to semi-final, a dream left unfulfilled as they ended up the tournament with sixth position.
Although they did not qualify for the semis, they enthralled the cricket fans with their all-round performance in the mega tournament which was won by Australia.
These victories will give them a lot of confidence in the major tournaments to come. This will also help promote cricket back home.
They kickstarted their world cup campaign with losses to Bangladesh and India. The Afghan side valiantly fought back and managed to defeat the defending champions England by 69 runs.
Their second surprise came against Pakistan as they chased down 283 runs with eight wickets in hand, registering their first-ever win against Pakistan in ODIs. This was followed by a series of wins against Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
Their next big challenge was five-time (sixth after the latest triumph) world cup winner Australia. After Ibrahim Zadran's record world cup hundred helped them score 293 runs, the Afghan bowlers ran through Australia's batting order which was left struggling at 91 for 7.
Then Glenn Maxwell played one of the greatest knocks of all time and smashed unbeaten 201 runs, guiding his team to victory. But for Maxwell’s match-winning innings, Afghanistan showed pluck against Australia.
Afghanistan’s final match was once again a tight one against South Africa, whom they pushed all the way and made things interesting in the end.
Despite falling short in the match, Afghanistan gave a tough time to the top teams in the world cup.
Big improvement
Afghanistan’s performance in this world cup marked an extraordinary improvement. In 2019 World Cup, the Afghan side lost all nine matches in the group stages. Now, they managed to win four matches.
Before this mega event, they had only one world cup victory which came against Scotland in 2015.
