New Delhi: A side which has made massive strides in international cricket since its World Cup debut in 2015, it will not be a surprise if a spirited Afghanistan humbles one or two leading sides at the mega event, beginning next week. Now known for its prowess on the field rather than an also-ran from a troubled nation, all top teams will be wary of the threat they pose despite an 11th hour change in leadership. Afghanistan won only one game in the 2015 edition but that was the time when they did not boast match-winners like Rashid Khan.
None other than India skipper Virat Kohli acknowledged Afghanistan’s rapid rise in the last four years. “If you look at Afghanistan from 2015 to now, they are a completely different side. Any team can upset anyone on its day (in this World Cup),” Kohli said ahead of his team’s departure to England. The overall squad too is much richer in experience and go into the tournament as winners of the ICC World Cup Qualifier in which it outplayed the West Indies twice including in the final. Afghanistan trained in South Africa before the final leg of preparations in the UK where it played ODIs against Scotland and Ireland.
Off the field, their build-up for the World Cup was far from ideal due to the sudden sacking of long-time captain Asghar Afghan from all three formats though he remains part of the ODI squad. Senior players Mohammad Nabi and Rashid took to social media to question the need for a captaincy change less than two months before the quadrennial competition. They were eventually pacified by the selectors and the cricket board. Even head coach Phil Simmons was not kept in the loop as the selectors opted for split captaincy with the unassuming Gulbadin Naib chosen to lead the 50-over side. In a recent chat with PTI, Afghanistan chief selector Dawlat Khan Ahmadzai insisted that all is well with the team now but it remains to be seen how Naib shoulders the leadership responsibility in on a big stage like the World Cup.
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