Rashid Khan has been appointed as the captain of the Afghanistan national cricket team for the upcoming T20 World Cup in 2024. The Afghans have been the recent favourites among underdogs, as they have raised the eyebrows of many heavyweight nations on several occasions.
Speaking of their recent success, the Afghans had an unimaginable World Cup in India last year as they swept off teams like defending champions England and the star-studded Pakistan side. It would not be wrong to say that Afghanistan once seemed to be the most deserving contenders for a semi-final spot, but in their way stood Glenn Maxwell and an innings that would be an example for centuries to come.
Rashid said on being questioned about their World Cup campaign
“We were very close in the last World Cup to being in the semis. We were just one game away from being in the semis, and that’s where I feel like the belief started that nothing is impossible for us as a team”
However, despite their endless success, they have been single-handedly led by their bowlers. Other than frontline spinners Rashid Khan, Mujeeb, and Noor Ahmed, their pacers have also delivered at times of need. And Afghanistan has also looked to build their dominance using their key bowlers.
To everyone’s surprise, Rashid Khan, the new skipper, denied the team’s overreliance on bowlers and said that their batters have now played leagues around the world and are now confident enough to chase totals as big as 200 in their 20 overs.
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Rashid showed great faith in batters Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, and Azmatullah Omarzai and said their dominant performances in T20 leagues like the CPL and their impact and participation in the Indian Premier League have given them abundant exposure to handle the pressure of international games.
Rashid’s confidence was reflected in his statements, as he commended his team’s batting expertise
“I think we have that kind of batting line-up where we can say it’s fine if there is a target of 200 as well on a wicket. We have that kind of ability, skill, and talent that we can express on the ground and chase. T20 cricket is all about mindset. As long as you have the right mindset and the belief that we can do anything, anything is possible.
Rashid mentioned that he and his bowlers will look to provide firm support to their batters. This time around, Afghanistan will be seen expressing itself as the even more splendid side with a great touch of both their batters and bowlers.
Afghanistan is in Group C with the West Indies, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, and Uganda. They will initiate their World Cup campaign against debutant Uganda on the 4th of this month.