Dubai [UAE], September 9 (ANI): Forward of his facet’s Asia Cup marketing campaign opener in opposition to Hong Kong on Tuesday, Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan stated that the workforce goals to maintain issues easy, which contributed to their current success in ICC occasions.
The Asia Cup T20I version will kickstart with a contest between Afghanistan and Hong Kong in Dubai on Tuesday.
Afghanistan is heading into the event as dark-horse contenders. During the last 4 to 5 years, the workforce has made numerous strides in white-ball cricket, ending sixth within the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023 in India with wins over defending champions England and former WC winners Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Within the T20 World Cup held within the USA and the West Indies subsequent yr, Afghans continued their giant-killing spree, beating New Zealand and Australia on their solution to a historic semifinal end.
Talking in Dubai forward of their match, Rashid stated, ‘I feel for us it’s to maintain issues easy as we did within the final couple of ICC occasions. I feel we didn’t put that additional strain on and stated that now we have to get to semis, now we have to get to finals.’
Rashid stated {that a} spot within the semifinals or finals comes solely after placing in work and energy on the sphere.
‘We at all times consider placing 100 per cent effort on the bottom. It’s the predominant factor. And to get any achievement is nice. We by no means considered moving into the semis within the World Cup. And we obtained it within the West Indies. In order that was enormous. However earlier than that, we labored arduous. I feel we labored actually, actually arduous and put the hassle we wanted into the bottom, and the end result got here. So for us, it’s the identical. We preserve it easy. We put within the arduous work and let’s have a look at what the result’s,’ he added.
Since final yr’s T20 World Cup, Afghanistan has featured in eight T20Is, successful 5 and shedding three. Whereas they secured the bilateral sequence in opposition to Zimbabwe away from dwelling in December final yr by 2-1, they misplaced their most up-to-date outing, the tri-nation sequence last to Pakistan within the UAE. They ended the tri-series with three wins and two losses.
Led by skipper Rashid Khan, with a younger left-arm wrist spinner Noor Ahmed, a 19-year-old right-armer Allah Ghazanfar and a artful, 40-year-old right-armer Mohammed Nabi, Afghanistan has an especially stable spin assault. If the tracks in Dubai become gradual and supply flip, they might simply make a fast snack out of their opposition. Regardless of his current occasional struggles, Rashid has been in stable kind in T20Is main as much as the Asia Cup, with 9 scalps in 4 matches at a median of 12.77, with an financial system charge of seven.18.
Ending as finalists within the tri-nation sequence held in Sharjah, Afghanistan has spent a while within the UAE, whereas not within the Asia Cup venues of Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Whereas the situations might fluctuate at these two venues, the Rashid-led workforce has loved some success and the benefit of already having performed within the UAE. As urged by the highest 5 within the wicket-takers listing being dominated by spinners, situations in Sharjah have been extremely spin-friendly, and this may very well be the identical in Abu Dhabi and Dubai.
Afghanistan’s batting isn’t in the most effective form heading into the event, with Rahmanullah Gurbaz, their frontline batter, struggling for runs proper now, having made simply 104 runs in eight appearances at a median of 15.50 and a strike charge of 104.20, simply after ending as high run-getter within the T20 World Cup with 281 runs in eight matches, together with three fifties.
Their batting common of 20.96 is third-lowest behind Sri Lanka (20.88) and Pakistan (19.84), whereas seen collectively, their strike charge of 117.07 is second-lowest, with Oman lagging behind with a strike charge of 111.71. Amongst all of the Check-playing nations, Afghanistan has the bottom strike charge on this yr’s Asia Cup. Additionally, their batters have simply six fifty-plus scores (no centuries) in 66 innings, the bottom amongst all of the members heading into the event for the reason that T20 World Cup 2024.
Afghanistan has performed eight T20Is heading into the Asia Cup, the least amongst all members, with even non-Check-playing international locations like Oman (15), Hong Kong (27), and UAE (29) having significantly better sport time and preparation. Whereas the participation in T20 leagues worldwide is unquestionably a plus and Afghans kind a large a part of these competitions, the depth and stakes are usually not as excessive as this coveted continental affair.
Afghanistan squad for Asia Cup: Rashid Khan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Darwish Rasooli, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Mohammad Ishaq, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Allah Ghazanfar, Noor Ahmad, Farid Malik, Naveen-ul-Haq, Fazalhaq Farooqi. (ANI)
