3 reasons why Afghanistan will cause a flutter at the World Cup

The transformation of Afghanistan from a country embroiled in civil strife to a cricket-fanatic country has been nothing short of incredible. The likes of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have become household names and have been the characters around whom their fairy tale has revolved.

In June 2019, Afghanistan will embark on their 2nd World Cup escapade having made their bow in Australia three years ago. In Australia, Afghanistan got their first win on the board courtesy a nerve-wracking one-wicket triumph over fellow Associates, Scotland.

However, Afghan cricket has come a long way since their debut appearance at the World Cup. In June 2018, they played their first ever Test match against India while they currently find themselves as the eighth best T20I team in the world.

Additionally, their players have become hot commodities in global T20 leagues. Mujeeb, Rashid and Nabi have had their time in the IPL sun with Mujeeb and Rashid establishing themselves as first choice starters.

Having won the qualifiers tournament, ahead of Zimbabwe and West Indies, the Afghans would fancy themselves to make a splash come June 2019. Through the course of this article, we would look at the three reasons which make Afghanistan a tough proposition to tackle at the World Cup.

#3 Significant improvement in batting

Shahzad will provide firepower at the top

Afghanistan arrived on the international stage and boasted of a couple of quality fast bowlers. Shapoor Zadran and Dawlat Zadran quickly spring to mind. However, over the years, they have had some precocious talent coming through the batting door as well.

While Shahzad has been an effervescent presence at the top of the order, it is the introduction of the likes of Ihsanullah, Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi which has lent strength to their batting.

Rahmat is pleasing on the eye and has shown glimpses of his extraordinary talent. He already has 3 ODI hundreds to his name and if he continues batting in the same vein, one can expect him to be the fulcrum around which the Afghan batting would revolve.

However, their batting might isn’t only restricted to the top of the order. Their captain, Asghar Afghan is an able marshal of the middle order and he has Nabi for company. In addition to Nabi, Rashid and Gulbadan Naib have portrayed the ability to carve boundaries in the death overs.

Though Afghanistan’s strength still lies in the bowling department, they now have a batting line-up capable of keeping up with the opposition and thus laying the foundation for their bowling to make the difference.

#2 They have variety in their bowling

Nabi has been a vital cog in the Afghan wheel

Afghanistan look most likely to attack oppositions with spin in England next year. When you possess the likes of Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi, you can’t really argue with that strategy.

However, their other bowlers, namely Naib and Aftab Alam look equally penetrative. Alam, in particular, has swung the ball prodigiously in the ongoing Asia Cup and would relish the more favourable English conditions.

In Rashid, Mujeed and Nabi, they boast of one of the best spin bowling attacks in the world. Each of the trios is different in their approach and they do not let the batsmen settle. While Mujeeb provides a threat with the new ball, Rashid keeps the batsmen on a tight leash towards the end. Through the middle overs, Nabi keeps the batsmen in check with his unerring accuracy.

The Afghan bowling attack has the potential to win matches on its own and therein lies Afghanistan’s biggest chance of success. Not many teams would want to chase targets in excess of 250 and that is a testament to their bowling prowess more than anything else.

One can expect Afghanistan to ruffle feathers in England and one would be very brave to predict against their bowling making a difference.

#1 Rashid Khan

Rashid possesses the X-Factor that teams crave

The biggest reason for people to label Afghanistan as a dangerous opponent is Rashid Khan. The recently turned 20-year-old has turned heads with his sumptuous bowling displays across the globe.

At present, Rashid is one of the best leg-spinners in white-ball cricket. He averages a staggering 14.20 in ODIs while boasting of an equally astounding average of 12.40 in T20Is. Though most of his games have come against Associate nations, his ability to bamboozle the world’s best batsmen in the IPL has served as a timely reminder of his qualities.

Apart from his bowling, Rashid has come leaps and bounds with the willow. On his 20th birthday, he smashed an irresistible 57 off 32 balls against Bangladesh. Even in the IPL, he single-handedly turned a match against Kolkata Knight Riders with his all-round display.

At this juncture, Rashid competes in a very short list to be one of the most coveted T20 cricketers across the globe. Though he still has a long way to go in ODIs, one can expect him to rise to the big occasion and lay down his marker.

The young boy from Nangarhar is one of the primary reasons why Afghanistan have become a tricky opposition. Thus, one shouldn’t be surprised if the wizard of Afghanistan conjures magic on the biggest stage.