Pakistan captain Salman Ali Agha's reaction went viral after a reporter addressed Afghanistan as the second-best Asian side during a presser ahead of the tri-nation series, also involving UAE. In a video surfaced on social media, the all-rounder let out a smirk after the reporter's statement.
Afghanistan has indeed witnessed a rapid rise in cricket, headlined by tremendous performances in the 2023 50-overs World Cup and T20 World Cup 2024. Despite not reaching the knockouts in 2023 World Cup, Afghanistan had beaten the likes of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and England. In T20 World Cup 2024, they made it to the semi-finals after wins over New Zealand and Australia.
Watch the below video as the reporter asked Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan:
"Your team did very well in the T20 World Cup. You became Asia's second-best team. So what are the targets for the tri-series and then the Asia Cup?
The leggie answered:
"There is no specific target. We don't need to put extra pressure on ourself. For us, it's the right brand of cricket we have played over the last few years. That's something for us which is the target. We bring that energy, that performance, that efforts into the game. For us that's the main target. Getting there, beating teams that's a different matter but for us, it's about putting 200% on the ground, whether we bat, bowl or field."
Afghanistan and Pakistan to open the tri-series
The tri-nation series, involving the UAE, will see Afghanistan and Pakistan open it, facing one another in Sharjah. Pakistan hold a slight edge over their opposition in T20Is, winning four out of seven matches.
The Afghans had registered a historic series victory over the Men in Green in March 2023 and will look to capitalize on Pakistan's recent struggles.
