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 teamStrengthsSpin BowlersMujeeb was sensational with the ball in IPL 2018Afghan 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 BatsmenMohammad Nabi is a terrific all-rounderAshgar 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...

SWOT Analysis of Afghanistan Test squad

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