Every cricket team has got a player who acts as the unique selling point of his team. A player who possesses skills or plays in a manner which is quite different from the rest of the squad. Such players have an influence to the extent that the team management tries to find more of those type of players in domestic cricket and fast track them to the international team.
In recent times, Pakistan had Afridi, who's power hitting was quite famous, India had Tendulkar who's batting itself was a treat to watch and Sri Lanka had Muralitharan.
Each of these players had their influence as mentioned above. Pakistan tried to search for hitters like Afridi, while India tried to look for batsmen like Tendulkar and Sri lanka would unleash mystery spinners every now and then.
Today Afghanistan has also got its poster boy, and that poster boy is Rashid Khan. His spin attack has made the Afghanistan Cricket Board change its whole approach, as with Rashid the team has selected Mujeeb Ur Rehman, Zahir Khan and Shrafudin Ashraf.
Everyone knows about Afghanistan cricket today because of Rashid Khan. The guy has represented Afghanistan everywhere that all we know today about Afghanistan cricket is that its a spin dominated team.
However, before Rashid Khan became the poster boy of afghan cricket, there was another lad who was the face of this Afghan Cricket team.
In your opening post you have mentioned they dont have any fast bowler who could win them matches. You are very wrong bro.
5 years ago, Hamid Hassan was the face of Afghan Cricket. A guy swinging the ball both ways in associate/affiliate cricket was very rare and yet he existed and was from Afghanistan. He was only 22 years old when he highly rated by foreign coaches back in the early 2000s. By 2010 he was demolishing teams and was given a spot in the MCC team along with Mohammad Nabi.
He was one of the earliest Afghani players to land himself a sponsorship deals.
And if you are going to say that Hamid was a minnow basher, remember when he first time faced South africa in a t20 match, he took 3 wickets.
When Hamid had gained a super star status, more pacers developed in afghanistan. There was Daulat Zadran and Izatullah; and yet when Afghanistan made their Test Debut, they had a brand new face in the name of Wafadar leading the attack.
Just 10 years ago, the Afghani bowling attack had the likes of Hasti Gul and Khaliq Dad Noori.
My point is, do not doubt the skills of Afghani players. Just few years ago this team was different.
10 years ago this team under the coaching of Taj Malik, had become famous for being hitters. Taj Malik himself during an interview said that the style of Afghani players is to play aggressive and go for shots.
5 years ago, this team's main bowling attack was made up of pacers like Dawlat Zadran, Izatullah, Yamid Ahmadzai, Hamid Hassan and Shapoor Zadran.
Today this team's main attack is spin bowling and plus the likes of Hashmatullah, Rehmat Shah and Asghar Afghan bat at a strike rate of 70, making sure that their team plays the whole 50 overs while achieving the par score of 250 runs.
So yes this team has achieved alot in just little time. Thus, based on history, you shouldn't doubt if this team ends up defeating Pakistan or any major country in 3 years time from now.
Hasti Gul use to bowl for this team, and yet we saw Wafadar open the Test attack.
The talent is coming, and the team is improving day by day
