SWOT Analysis of Afghanistan Test squad

It was a proud moment for Afghanistan when after years of hard work and dedication by the cricketing community were rewarded in the form of earning the Test status. The rise of cricket in Afghanistan over the years has been amazing. It was great to see the hunger and desire backed by hard work being acknowledged by the ICC.

Afghanistan is now eligible to play Test cricket. The longest format of the game is considered as the most complete examination of a team’s unity, endurance, cricketing IQ and playing abilities.

This is a 'challenge never faced before' situation for Afghan players as they will lock horns with the Indian Test squad in their maiden test match from June 14 to 18 at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.

Here is a brief analysis of the Afghanistan test team, in relation to the key players and their roles in the team

Strengths

Spin Bowlers

Mujeeb was sensational with the ball in IPL 2018

Afghan side has a strong spin bowling department which can work wonders for them, given the subcontinental pitches. This team has two phenomenal spinners who have made quite some noise with their exceptional performances recently- Rashid Khan and Mujeeb ur Rahman.

In IPL 2018, these two bowlers proved their mettle on Indian tracks with some fabulous spells. Rashid Khan picked up 21 wickets in 17 matches whilst being very economical. He is currently the number 1 bowler in ODI and T20 cricket as per the ICC player ratings. He is one of the biggest challenges for the Indian team.

Mujeeb Ur Rahman was phenomenal with the ball in IPL 2018. Not only did he scalp 14 wickets in 11 matches, he showed great situational understanding of the game and bowled exceptionally well. The 16-member team consists of other young and talented spin bowling options like Zahir Khan and Hamza Hotak. Zahir Khan was very impressive in the recently concluded ICC IntercontinentalCup where he was the second highest wicket-taker with 31 wickets to his name.

Key Batsmen

Mohammad Nabi is a terrific all-rounder

Ashgar Stanikzai, the skipper, has plenty of experience to guide his team. He is a key player in the batting department. Same goes for Mohammad Shahzad and Mohammad Nabi. Shahzad is a fine talent with the bat. He has scored plenty of runs for Afghanistan and has the experience factor with him.

Nabi is a quality all-rounder to have who can deliver both with the bat and the ball. Both these players are veterans in this team considering the fact that they have played a lot of ODI, FC, and List A cricket. Rahmat Shah is another fine batsman whom the Indians will try to get rid of before he gets his eye in at the crease.

The youth quotient of this team can prove to be a boon for the Test debutant team. These young players are hungry to showcase their skills and make their country proud. Over the years, we have seen that the Afghan side works cohesively and their unity might just be their biggest strength.

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Weaknesses

Inexperienced players

Zahir Khan is known as Afghanistan's Brad Hogg

This is a major weakness that this squad carries. This is a team with fairly new faces who are yet to be exposed to the standards of the international scale. Rashid Khan, Stanikzai, Nabi, and Shahzad are the only players with some experience in their resume. The rest of the team sure carries talent but not enough international exposure to justify completely. Some of the players have not enough First class and List A exposure as well like Wafadar and Hamza Hotak.

Test cricket is all about sound temperament and patience. Considering the lack of experience, the key players like Shahzad and Stanikzai have an extra weight to carry. Batting department

Pace department

It is another tough issue the Afghan squad is facing. The strike fast bowler Dawlat Zadran is not in the squad due to a knee injury. The pace trio of Yamin Ahmadzai, Wafadar, and Sayed Ahmed Shirzad have the responsibility to deliver crucial spells for their team. These bowlers are aggressive with the ball like a fast bowler should be but again lack of experience comes into play here.

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Opportunities

This is a well-earned opportunity for Afghanistan cricket to flourish

This is the inaugural Test for Afghanistan, so they don't carry an extra pressure on their shoulders. Their performance, however it may be, will be crucial to enhance the experience and international exposure on this side. It must be noted that though the match is scheduled to take place on Indian soil, it doesn't mean that this will be quite new for them. Afghanistan's cricket base is the Greater Noida Stadium since 2015, so the players have plenty of practice regarding Indian pitches.

The important thing for them is to utilize these two factors to their advantage. They have the freedom to play their natural game. Sure, the youngsters like Rahmat Shah and Wafadar don't have a lot of top-level cricket exposure but they have done quite well in their careers till now. They are certainly not new to this and they will capitalize on this opportunity to step up, perform and learn.

With their performances over the years, Afghan cricketers have earned laurels from cricket fans and experts. The players deliver as a cohesive unit and they are ready to give their best against India. This test match can open new dimensions for cricket in Afganistan and inspire other associate nations to gear up.

Threats

The skipper Stanikzai has a lot on his plate to prove

Afghanistan's biggest opportunity in cricket can turn out to be a tough pill to swallow if not nurtured properly. Indian team offers some of the biggest names in the circuit and the Afghan team must be ready for a tough competition. It must be kept in mind that though the team has been encouraged to play their natural game, the lack of experience will be there.

Afghan Bowlers have to focus on not allowing Indian batsmen a time slot to settle. Batting is a prime concern for them. They must focus on setting their eyes on the ball and not losing wickets early. The media hype and attention must not get under their skins. This is a grand stage and this team has to deliver like they belong to this stage.