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Start of Afghanistan cricket's remarkable chapter after their performances in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023

Too many people reading from the same script so I’ll just leave a general response.

Physicality matters in every physical sport. How much it matters differs from sport to sport and also from disciple to disciple (within the same sport).

I agree that physicality without technique is nothing but technique with physicality will take you places.

Let’s take a look at Babar - he gives his everything but he hits tiny sixes even on small grounds. He has the technique but he doesn’t have the strength and athleticism to generate the bat speed.

You are either born with athleticism (like Afghans, northern Pakistanis) or you work towards it by putting in the work in the gym and eating the right food (like Indian players).

Most Pakistanis (except some from KP region), Bangladeshis and Sri Lankan players don’t have the the natural athleticism and they don’t have the work ethic either.

There isn’t a single Pakistani players who has physically transformed over the last few years even though they have all the money, time and facilities. It is all about attitude and desire.

Afghan players have this natural advantage that others do not. Their batsmen always had explosive power but they lacked temperament and technique but they have improved leaps & bounds on that front.

Next step is to improve their fast bowling. They have the natural ability to bowl fast but they don’t have the technique yet.

Unlike most Bangladeshi players, they aren’t naturally hampered.

They should also be a really good fielding size because of their arm strength and ability to cover the ground quickly.

To be a really successful cricket team you need both technique and physical prowess. They have the latter but they are improving on the former.
 
Cricket should have a relegation system evoke the Test status of bottom 2 teams, I know its not possible because that would rip up the ICC
 
Mamoon said:
Too many people reading from the same script so I’ll just leave a general response.

Physicality matters in every physical sport. How much it matters differs from sport to sport and also from disciple to disciple (within the same sport).

I agree that physicality without technique is nothing but technique with physicality will take you places.

Let’s take a look at Babar - he gives his everything but he hits tiny sixes even on small grounds. He has the technique but he doesn’t have the strength and athleticism to generate the bat speed.

You are either born with athleticism (like Afghans, northern Pakistanis) or you work towards it by putting in the work in the gym and eating the right food (like Indian players).

Most Pakistanis (except some from KP region), Bangladeshis and Sri Lankan players don’t have the the natural athleticism and they don’t have the work ethic either.

There isn’t a single Pakistani players who has physically transformed over the last few years even though they have all the money, time and facilities. It is all about attitude and desire.

Afghan players have this natural advantage that others do not. Their batsmen always had explosive power but they lacked temperament and technique but they have improved leaps & bounds on that front.

Next step is to improve their fast bowling. They have the natural ability to bowl fast but they don’t have the technique yet.

Unlike most Bangladeshi players, they aren’t naturally hampered.

They should also be a really good fielding size because of their arm strength and ability to cover the ground quickly.

To be a really successful cricket team you need both technique and physical prowess. They have the latter but they are improving on the former.
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The other day you said that South African Black players should not be picked as batters and only be picked as bowlers. While everyone knows that Black people have more strength, thus if we go by your logic, than South African black players should also be good batters along with Temba Bavuma.
 
Major said:
This is why never go into threads making fun of every topic which you dont know about.

Afghanistan may or may not make the semi finals. But the stage is all set for them. They came with the perfect squad for this world cup and have outperformed Pakistan and England (Current Champions).

3 wins against 3 major teams is a very big feat for this team.
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It's important not to get carried away. Kenya once made it to the semi-finals of an ODI World Cup, but now they are nowhere to be found.

Bangladesh also made it to the semis in an ODI ICC tournament not so long ago, they're now staring at last place.
 
topspin said:
It's important not to get carried away. Kenya once made it to the semi-finals of an ODI World Cup, but now they are nowhere to be found.

Bangladesh also made it to the semis in an ODI ICC tournament not so long ago, they're now staring at last place.
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Kenya comparison is wrong. Because Kenya (unfortunately) didn't get the test status and franchise leagues didn't exist then. Afghanistan have develop a great spin bowling culture and their spin bowling depth is among the best. Kenya didn't have such strength in any department. Even the 2nd string players are finding place in the T20 leagues.
 
Mamoon said:
Too many people reading from the same script so I’ll just leave a general response.

Physicality matters in every physical sport. How much it matters differs from sport to sport and also from disciple to disciple (within the same sport).

I agree that physicality without technique is nothing but technique with physicality will take you places.

Let’s take a look at Babar - he gives his everything but he hits tiny sixes even on small grounds. He has the technique but he doesn’t have the strength and athleticism to generate the bat speed.

You are either born with athleticism (like Afghans, northern Pakistanis) or you work towards it by putting in the work in the gym and eating the right food (like Indian players).

Most Pakistanis (except some from KP region), Bangladeshis and Sri Lankan players don’t have the the natural athleticism and they don’t have the work ethic either.

There isn’t a single Pakistani players who has physically transformed over the last few years even though they have all the money, time and facilities. It is all about attitude and desire.

Afghan players have this natural advantage that others do not. Their batsmen always had explosive power but they lacked temperament and technique but they have improved leaps & bounds on that front.

Next step is to improve their fast bowling. They have the natural ability to bowl fast but they don’t have the technique yet.

Unlike most Bangladeshi players, they aren’t naturally hampered.

They should also be a really good fielding size because of their arm strength and ability to cover the ground quickly.

To be a really successful cricket team you need both technique and physical prowess. They have the latter but they are improving on the former.
Click to expand...
I have not always agreed with everything you have said but I have always respected your willingness to take unpopular positions and standing up to jingoism. But I am a little saddened to see these generic statements from you on the role of genetics etc.You are a well read guy - you know the dark history of eugenics. This is a path best avoided, at least in my opinion. Give it a second thought, if u can.
 
Major said:
This is why never go into threads making fun of every topic which you dont know about.

Afghanistan may or may not make the semi finals. But the stage is all set for them. They came with the perfect squad for this world cup and have outperformed Pakistan and England (Current Champions).

3 wins against 3 major teams is a very big feat for this team.
Click to expand...
Nobody is making fun. Credit to Afghans for beating England and Pakistan. I only disagrees with your suggestion that they are potential semifinalists.
 
If they didn't lose to Bangladesh, I would've said they have a strong chance to make the semi-finals.

So far they lost to India and New Zealand, which is fine. They should beat the Netherlands which will mean they will have 8pts.

I feel its near impossible to beat Australia who simply doesn't lose to these teams full stop.

South Africa will also be hard to beat, but from their matches against Netherlands and South Africa, it looks like they struggle when chasing, and maybe the South Africa vs Afghanistan pitch and venue may suit spinners, which would favour Afghanistans spinners.
 
RyanRyan10 said:
Kenya comparison is wrong. Because Kenya (unfortunately) didn't get the test status and franchise leagues didn't exist then. Afghanistan have develop a great spin bowling culture and their spin bowling depth is among the best. Kenya didn't have such strength in any department. Even the 2nd string players are finding place in the T20 leagues.
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I fully agree with you. The reason I said what I said was I don’t want to encourage people to get excited over the Afghans like with Misbah.
 
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Mamoon said:
Too many people reading from the same script so I’ll just leave a general response.

Physicality matters in every physical sport. How much it matters differs from sport to sport and also from disciple to disciple (within the same sport).

I agree that physicality without technique is nothing but technique with physicality will take you places.

Let’s take a look at Babar - he gives his everything but he hits tiny sixes even on small grounds. He has the technique but he doesn’t have the strength and athleticism to generate the bat speed.

You are either born with athleticism (like Afghans, northern Pakistanis) or you work towards it by putting in the work in the gym and eating the right food (like Indian players).

Most Pakistanis (except some from KP region), Bangladeshis and Sri Lankan players don’t have the the natural athleticism and they don’t have the work ethic either.

There isn’t a single Pakistani players who has physically transformed over the last few years even though they have all the money, time and facilities. It is all about attitude and desire.

Afghan players have this natural advantage that others do not. Their batsmen always had explosive power but they lacked temperament and technique but they have improved leaps & bounds on that front.

Next step is to improve their fast bowling. They have the natural ability to bowl fast but they don’t have the technique yet.

Unlike most Bangladeshi players, they aren’t naturally hampered.

They should also be a really good fielding size because of their arm strength and ability to cover the ground quickly.

To be a really successful cricket team you need both technique and physical prowess. They have the latter but they are improving on the former.
Click to expand...
Since when are Afghans naturally athletic. They never win anything in any Asian games or Olympic comps.

Neither do they excel in combat. It's their rough terrain and environment that allows them to develop strength at a young age and that has some transferable traits which can be applied in cricket. Lot of our players barring a few come from middle class or above backgrounds. So they aren't used to hard work and aren't physically as developed due to lack of access to proper nutrition and training.
You either benefit from having access to first class facilities, nutrition, training and opportunities to represent your national team via a streamlined school based scholarship program or you benefit from a rough upbringing where you are forced to work hard from a tender age and this obviously toughens you and develops you physically.

Our players learn like caught in between both ans that's why we suffer.

Also Afghans are much older than their recorded age.
 
Major said:
The other day you said that South African Black players should not be picked as batters and only be picked as bowlers. While everyone knows that Black people have more strength, thus if we go by your logic, than South African black players should also be good batters along with Temba Bavuma.
Click to expand...
Total misconception. Africans are not always strong or fit. I have first hand exposure to such people as my school has many of them

West africans are naturally athletic due to their diet and how involved they are in sports from a young age. West africans can be strong etc. East and southern africans are generally weaker and on the skinnier side. Northern africans are mostly arabs and are not athletic in general barring a few exceptions.

Some GOAT footballers are of northern African heritage but most of them had the advantage of living in France which helped develop their physical abilities as France have a world class sports system.
 
Major said:
This is why never go into threads making fun of every topic which you dont know about.

Afghanistan may or may not make the semi finals. But the stage is all set for them. They came with the perfect squad for this world cup and have outperformed Pakistan and England (Current Champions).

3 wins against 3 major teams is a very big feat for this team.
Click to expand...

It was more of a sarcastic fun comment than anything serious.
 
Let's not downplay Afghanistan's achievements by attributing them to their physicality.

Last World Cup it was a younger more physical Afghan team but they didn't win any games.

They've worked hard and it shows
 
They worked hard and its showing. Their support and coaching staff are doing great job. Good to have another competitive team for cricket.
 
hassan918 said:
It was a almost a perfect chase by them. They made a plan and then executed is perfectly. This was their plan with the run chase that was shown live on TV.

1VhdpSO.jpg
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Planning, determination & hardwork
 
topspin said:
It's important not to get carried away. Kenya once made it to the semi-finals of an ODI World Cup, but now they are nowhere to be found.

Bangladesh also made it to the semis in an ODI ICC tournament not so long ago, they're now staring at last place.
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But Afghanistan is different they grow from strength to strength
 
Afghanistan has beaten 3 excellent teams in this World Cup. All of these teams are former World Cup champions. They have done exceptionally well in India and looking much more improved than any other minnow team playing this format.
 
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topspin said:
It's important not to get carried away. Kenya once made it to the semi-finals of an ODI World Cup, but now they are nowhere to be found.

Bangladesh also made it to the semis in an ODI ICC tournament not so long ago, they're now staring at last place.
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Get carried away? Who is getting carried away?

Kenya made it to the semi finals because of forfeits. Plus, Kenya cricket was flawed because the team was made up from one school. The whole bubble was to collapse eventually and it did.

I have already mentioned Bangladesh in my posts and that Afghanistan needs to start developing teams for overseas tours.

Thing is, the Afghanistan Cricket phenomena did not start 2 or 3 years ago, this team has been growing since 2001.
 
Nikhil_cric said:
Nobody is making fun. Credit to Afghans for beating England and Pakistan. I only disagrees with your suggestion that they are potential semifinalists.
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After 6 rounds of cricket, they are a potential semi finalist. Whether they make it or not is a different story, but they had the perfect bowling squad to put up a fight for it and by now they have.
 
Major said:
The other day you said that South African Black players should not be picked as batters and only be picked as bowlers. While everyone knows that Black people have more strength, thus if we go by your logic, than South African black players should also be good batters along with Temba Bavuma.
Click to expand...
That is based on historic data not racism. South African blacks, like South African whites, are athletically gifted.

They should be good at batting too but they are not. They are not even good power-hitters like Carribean blacks.

There are definitely some underlying factors that are impeding South African cricket from producing black batsmen. Unfortunately, people are uncomfortable in exploring such topics because they are afraid of being called racist.
 
topspin said:
I fully agree with you. The reason I said what I said was I don’t want to encourage people to get excited over the Afghans like with Misbah.
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Agree, that we should not get carried away.

Btw, @Major isn't the one who is getting carried away here. There are others here, who criticize the Pakistan fans for talent talks. They are doing the same thing with Afghanistan here. All these talks of gauging someone's potential are just made to make one feel better or run an agenda & at times done for trolling purpose. The young players Afghanistan have will ensure that they don't fade but neither they are that good that they will make Afg a top tier side in the near future.
 
RyanRyan10 said:
Agree, that we should not get carried away.

Btw, @Major isn't the one who is getting carried away here. There are others here, who criticize the Pakistan fans for talent talks. They are doing the same thing with Afghanistan here. All these talks of gauging someone's potential are just made to make one feel better or run an agenda & at times done for trolling purpose. The young players Afghanistan have will ensure that they don't fade but neither they are that good that they will make Afg a top tier side in the near future.
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the issue for afghanistan still stands that they need pacers out of subcontinent.
 
kron said:
Since when are Afghans naturally athletic. They never win anything in any Asian games or Olympic comps.

Neither do they excel in combat. It's their rough terrain and environment that allows them to develop strength at a young age and that has some transferable traits which can be applied in cricket. Lot of our players barring a few come from middle class or above backgrounds. So they aren't used to hard work and aren't physically as developed due to lack of access to proper nutrition and training.
You either benefit from having access to first class facilities, nutrition, training and opportunities to represent your national team via a streamlined school based scholarship program or you benefit from a rough upbringing where you are forced to work hard from a tender age and this obviously toughens you and develops you physically.

Our players learn like caught in between both ans that's why we suffer.

Also Afghans are much older than their recorded age.
Click to expand...
Afghans have immense athletic ability but they don’t have the facilities and the platform to excel. For example, the GB area in Pakistan is a goldmine for football talent. Those people love football and are made for football.

There is no reason why Chitral cannot produce a football team, purely from a physical perspective, that cannot compete with some very established international football teams.

But then it is a matter of poor coaching and lack of facilities. There is no player development process but the raw ingredients are there.

Afghanistan has immense raw ingredients for cricket and for other sports too but they are finally able to tap into their cricket potential through some degree of investment and proper coaching.

They are physically far superior to their Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan counterparts and with the right facilities, they should be able to leave these countries behind.

Age cheating is a problem but it is a problem for Pakistan too. No one in his/her right mind would believe that Shafique is 23 only. Similarly, Naseem Shah is 3-4 years older than his official age and Iftikhar must be closing in on 45.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are equally bad when it comes to cheating. In both countries, there are only 2-3 players who can considered as genuine in terms of their respective ages.
 
dildilpak said:
I have not always agreed with everything you have said but I have always respected your willingness to take unpopular positions and standing up to jingoism. But I am a little saddened to see these generic statements from you on the role of genetics etc.You are a well read guy - you know the dark history of eugenics. This is a path best avoided, at least in my opinion. Give it a second thought, if u can.
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Thank you for the compliment and the criticism. I’m curious to hear from you why you believe that genetics plays no role in sports when it players a role in everything else.

I have given it multiple thoughts and I’m comfortable with what I’m saying. Happy to agree to disagree on this but since you are one of the very few posters whose opinions I value, I would be happy to hear your two cents on this topic.
 
Mamoon said:
Afghans have immense athletic ability but they don’t have the facilities and the platform to excel. For example, the GB area in Pakistan is a goldmine for football talent. Those people love football and are made for football.

There is no reason why Chitral cannot produce a football team, purely from a physical perspective, that cannot compete with some very established international football teams.

But then it is a matter of poor coaching and lack of facilities. There is no player development process but the raw ingredients are there.

Afghanistan has immense raw ingredients for cricket and for other sports too but they are finally able to tap into their cricket potential through some degree of investment and proper coaching.

They are physically far superior to their Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan counterparts and with the right facilities, they should be able to leave these countries behind.

Age cheating is a problem but it is a problem for Pakistan too. No one in his/her right mind would believe that Shafique is 23 only. Similarly, Naseem Shah is 3-4 years older than his official age and Iftikhar must be closing in on 45.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are equally bad when it comes to cheating. In both countries, there are only 2-3 players who can considered as genuine in terms of their respective ages.
Click to expand...
Define what you mean by athleticism. Because most Pakistanis households don't encourage sports in general. Afghans have An advantage here given they are raised in rough neighbourhoods which is likely to increase their ability to be physically developed much earlier.

In terms of strength Afghans can't compete in any sort of level even at the Asian games etc. Maybe down to facilities issue but I don't buy this whole genetic superiority whatsoever. They are simply not. Most Afghans are physically under devekoped but they are tough if that's what you are implying then yes. They are tough and can handle difficult situations given the conditions they are exposed to in their country. Only the toughest survive sort of mentality needs to be bred.

It's all about how you are raised and your upbringing. Whether you are exposed to physical work from an early age or if you are groomed to play a particular sport via a strong school based scholarship program for instance. It's a combination of everything.
 
Mamoon said:
Too many people reading from the same script so I’ll just leave a general response.

Physicality matters in every physical sport. How much it matters differs from sport to sport and also from disciple to disciple (within the same sport).

I agree that physicality without technique is nothing but technique with physicality will take you places.

Let’s take a look at Babar - he gives his everything but he hits tiny sixes even on small grounds. He has the technique but he doesn’t have the strength and athleticism to generate the bat speed.

You are either born with athleticism (like Afghans, northern Pakistanis) or you work towards it by putting in the work in the gym and eating the right food (like Indian players).

Most Pakistanis (except some from KP region), Bangladeshis and Sri Lankan players don’t have the the natural athleticism and they don’t have the work ethic either.

There isn’t a single Pakistani players who has physically transformed over the last few years even though they have all the money, time and facilities. It is all about attitude and desire.

Afghan players have this natural advantage that others do not. Their batsmen always had explosive power but they lacked temperament and technique but they have improved leaps & bounds on that front.

Next step is to improve their fast bowling. They have the natural ability to bowl fast but they don’t have the technique yet.

Unlike most Bangladeshi players, they aren’t naturally hampered.

They should also be a really good fielding size because of their arm strength and ability to cover the ground quickly.

To be a really successful cricket team you need both technique and physical prowess. They have the latter but they are improving on the former.
Click to expand...

Afghan cricket team is really not physically superior to let’s say Bharatiya team , neither do they hit bigger sixes.

I agree however, most Pakistani cricketers in the last 10 years or so have been physically mediocre. Only local people can shed light on this and why this is the case. I heard in news that there’s a lot of adulteration in food , milk products and ghosht.
 
Bhaijaan said:
Afghan cricket team is really not physically superior to let’s say Bharatiya team , neither do they hit bigger sixes.

I agree however, most Pakistani cricketers in the last 10 years or so have been physically mediocre. Only local people can shed light on this and why this is the case. I heard in news that there’s a lot of adulteration in food , milk products and ghosht.
Click to expand...
They aren't physically superior whatsoever. It's a myth.

Just check asian games for example.

That's not the point though. It's up to the individual really and it's down to their upbringing. It can shape how you develop physically.
 
kron said:
Define what you mean by athleticism. Because most Pakistanis households don't encourage sports in general. Afghans have An advantage here given they are raised in rough neighbourhoods which is likely to increase their ability to be physically developed much earlier.

In terms of strength Afghans can't compete in any sort of level even at the Asian games etc. Maybe down to facilities issue but I don't buy this whole genetic superiority whatsoever. They are simply not. Most Afghans are physically under devekoped but they are tough if that's what you are implying then yes. They are tough and can handle difficult situations given the conditions they are exposed to in their country. Only the toughest survive sort of mentality needs to be bred.

It's all about how you are raised and your upbringing. Whether you are exposed to physical work from an early age or if you are groomed to play a particular sport via a strong school based scholarship program for instance. It's a combination of everything.
Click to expand...
Your average Afghan compared to your average Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Indian has more stamina, endurance and strength.

All these factors are very important and gives you a competitive advantage in sports when complimented with technique and skill.

This is why Kohli works like an animal in the gym. A lot of Afghan players don’t need to work like animals in the gym because they have been genetically blessed.
 
Mamoon said:
Your average Afghan compared to your average Pakistani, Bangladeshi, Sri Lankan and Indian has more stamina, endurance and strength.

All these factors are very important and gives you a competitive advantage in sports when complimented with technique and skill.

This is why Kohli works like an animal in the gym. A lot of Afghan players don’t need to work like animals in the gym because they have been genetically blessed.
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If that is so then why are most of them under developed and how come no Afghan athlete ever wins anything of note in Asian games let alone olympics. Sure facilities access to training plays a huge role but I just don't buy this whole physical superiority myth.

It's not true. I have come across many Afghans personally, honestly none look physically strong or durable. They train kickboxing etc but I don't see anything special from a physical point of view.

Average Afghan is also short. Most of the ones I see are well under rhe avesge height here in Australia for example.

They are tough due to how they are raised but that's just about it.

Using your example. Yuvraj barely lifts a dumbbell and yet he has more power than anyone from Afghanistan for example even at this age. Any batter.
 
I think this thread is about Afghanistan in this ICC World Cup. No need to discuss other sports in this thread, please. Stay on the topic or else your posts will be removed.
 
Mamoon said:
Afghans have immense athletic ability but they don’t have the facilities and the platform to excel. For example, the GB area in Pakistan is a goldmine for football talent. Those people love football and are made for football.

There is no reason why Chitral cannot produce a football team, purely from a physical perspective, that cannot compete with some very established international football teams.

But then it is a matter of poor coaching and lack of facilities. There is no player development process but the raw ingredients are there.

Afghanistan has immense raw ingredients for cricket and for other sports too but they are finally able to tap into their cricket potential through some degree of investment and proper coaching.

They are physically far superior to their Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan counterparts and with the right facilities, they should be able to leave these countries behind.

Age cheating is a problem but it is a problem for Pakistan too. No one in his/her right mind would believe that Shafique is 23 only. Similarly, Naseem Shah is 3-4 years older than his official age and Iftikhar must be closing in on 45.

Both Pakistan and Afghanistan are equally bad when it comes to cheating. In both countries, there are only 2-3 players who can considered as genuine in terms of their respective ages.
Click to expand...

I see you left out your Bharat heroes again. If you want us to take you seriously on this physical superiority then you must include India, but for some reason you avoid it.
 
Just to clarify, genetics and physical attributes clearly do make a difference in a lot of sports, combat sports, American football and rugby you need big players. In basketball it's tall players.

But we are talking about cricket, and the physique here matters for fast bowling. India is producing some great fast bowlers currently and Pakistan has always had them. Batting doesn't require huge builds, it's about timing and skill.
 
Afghanistan are enjoying an outstanding campaign with three stirring triumphs that have the side pushing for a first-ever appearance in the knockout stage of an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.

A third victory of the tournament means that Afghanistan are leading the chasing pack for the semi-final qualification places, after winning just a single Men's Cricket World Cup fixture in their history prior to this event.

Afghanistan have achieved their winning feats without completely relying on main man Rashid Khan, who has matured into a mentor in a squad packed full of young talent.

“Rashid Khan is the best player and he is a very energetic guy so all the team is full of energy around him,” captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said after Monday’s victory over Sri Lanka.

The talented Rashid, who celebrated his 100th ODI appearance for Afghanistan against Sri Lanka, is the team’s top wicket-taker for the tournament with seven in six matches.

But Afghanistan’s success hasn’t been built solely on the brilliance of the leg-spinner, with the whole attack contributing and the team’s batting standing up.

“There's such an amount of talent,” coach Jonathan Trott said after watching his squad’s seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka in Pune.

“It’s just about giving them a bit of structure or a bit of a game plan, understanding what makes them the best players that they can be - tactically wise, but also the way that they train and they think about themselves.”

That structure was clear to see in a chasing effort that featured outstanding half-centuries from three of the top five, with Afghanistan’s confidence visibly growing throughout a composed batting effort.

“The Pakistan chase gave us a lot of confidence and belief that we can chase any kind of target,” Hashmatullah said.

“Before the Pakistan game the coach's words changed my mindset a lot. As a captain you should lead from the front foot so I am trying my best, I am very happy that I finished the game and I will try to maintain that in upcoming games.”

Afghanistan’s patient and professional run-chase followed the simple blueprint spelled out on a whiteboard in the changing room.

Television cameras picked up a batting plan, scrawled on the board, that set targets for each 10 overs – 50 runs after 10 overs, 100 runs after 20 overs, and so on.

While not being the most complicated of tactics, the simplicity of the messaging was a reminder that there is plenty of time when chasing down a target of 242 – something that some other teams have seemingly failed to appreciate in the tournament.

“I think when it's batting first, it's a little bit different,” Trott said when asked about the whiteboard strategy.

“I think it's more a case of communication and the targets will change.

“When it's chasing, the target obviously never changes, unless it's Duckworth Lewis. So, there's a bit more focus with regards to breaking it down into smaller targets.

“But sometimes, certainly like the Pakistan game, chasing 280 and starting on zero, it's a long way away. But if you break it down, it seems a lot more manageable.

“It’s those sorts of things, the little things, you know, motivating the players and keeping them in touch with where we want to be. And it's also a feel-good factor. If you know you're on the right track, it's also a nice feeling as well.

“We don't want to limit the guys on what they can do batting first. We want them to assess the conditions and make sure we go out there and get as many as we can. So, it just worked out that we chased today.”

Afghanistan’s win was finished off by the batters, but was set up by the bowling attack.

The talismanic Rashid slotted into his role perfectly, taking 1/50 from his 10 overs, with that lone dismissal being an outstanding working over of Dhananjaya de Silva.

But, as has been the case for Afghanistan with the ball this tournament, it was a team effort across a talented spin group.

“I think for us, the spinners always to bowl with a dry ball is always going to be crucial and getting a bit of turn,” Trott said.

“We saw the way Noor (Ahmad) bowled last game and the wickets he got.

“We're very lucky in that we’ve got options to be able to select for quite different conditions, but also different conditions when it comes to weather and the effect that the weather has on the pitch and the outfield.”

Perhaps even more encouragingly for Afghanistan, it wasn’t just the spinners who starred with the ball, as pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi put in a Player of the Match performance.

“I looked for swing early on but didn't get it so then I kept it simple and hit the right areas,” Farooqi said after his returns of 4/34 from 10 overs.

“That was the plan for the spell and I got success in it.

“We struggled in the past in the last overs, gave away too many runs, but we bowled with variations today and the hard work in net sessions helped.”

Netherlands await Afghanistan next up, where a win would put them squarely in the semi-final conversation.

Source: ICC
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
Just to clarify, genetics and physical attributes clearly do make a difference in a lot of sports, combat sports, American football and rugby you need big players. In basketball it's tall players.

But we are talking about cricket, and the physique here matters for fast bowling. India is producing some great fast bowlers currently and Pakistan has always had them. Batting doesn't require huge builds, it's about timing and skill.
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Modern batters have perfected the art of six hitting. They just know they have to hit well enough to clear the boundary ropes. Major difference maker is actually the quality of the bats these days. It’s astonishing how even some edges fly over the ropes sometimes these days. Chris Gayle is an anomaly even for West Indian cricket let alone the rest of the world.

Tendulkar was a prolific six hitter and that says it all.
 
Bhaijaan said:
Modern batters have perfected the art of six hitting. They just know they have to hit well enough to clear the boundary ropes. Major difference maker is actually the quality of the bats these days. It’s astonishing how even some edges fly over the ropes sometimes these days. Chris Gayle is an anomaly even for West Indian cricket let alone the rest of the world.

Tendulkar was a prolific six hitter and that says it all.
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Fakhar Zaman hits huge sixes (although he is a rubbish batsman) and he is average physique. Cricket isn't the game where physique makes a massive difference unless you can't produce fast bowlers. Afghanistan's best player is Rashid Khan and he's one of their smaller guys.
 
I think Afghanistan can beat the Dutch and South Africa. The Aussie game will depend on surface, if its spin friendly they could cause an upset. I do hope they make the semi finals.
 
Amjid Javed said:
I think Afghanistan can beat the Dutch and South Africa. The Aussie game will depend on surface, if its spin friendly they could cause an upset. I do hope they make the semi finals.
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I dont know if the aussies can play spin or not. But if they cant, i want afghanistan to unleash Noor Ahmad on them.

Afghanistan can also lose to the Dutch, so you never know, but if they beat the dutch and the game against Australia becomes a virtual Quatre final, than Afghanistan should go with 4 spinners and hope for the best.
 
Major said:
I dont know if the aussies can play spin or not. But if they cant, i want afghanistan to unleash Noor Ahmad on them.

Afghanistan can also lose to the Dutch, so you never know, but if they beat the dutch and the game against Australia becomes a virtual Quatre final, than Afghanistan should go with 4 spinners and hope for the best.
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I think if Afghanistan play like they did vs Pakistan / England then they will beat the Dutch.

Against Aussies taking early wickets is key as I think Aussies do crumble if they lose wickets early
 
Cpt. Rishwat said:
Fakhar Zaman hits huge sixes (although he is a rubbish batsman) and he is average physique. Cricket isn't the game where physique makes a massive difference unless you can't produce fast bowlers. Afghanistan's best player is Rashid Khan and he's one of their smaller guys.
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Fakhar, like most fast bowlers, has fast twitch muscles which allows him to generate quite a lot of bat speed.

He might not be strong but he is capable of producing a lot of speed. He could have been a fast bowler too had he gone that route.

Either way, genetics/physique matters. There is a reason why players work their backsides off in the gym, at least those with good work ethic and attitude.

Our players are physically average and the highlight of their humiliating stay in India has been the tasty biryanis they have been consuming.

They will go home empty-handed but at least they will be able to tell stories about the different types of biryanis available in India.
 
Mamoon said:
Fakhar, like most fast bowlers, has fast twitch muscles which allows him to generate quite a lot of bat speed.

He might not be strong but he is capable of producing a lot of speed. He could have been a fast bowler too had he gone that route.

Either way, genetics/physique matters. There is a reason why players work their backsides off in the gym, at least those with good work ethic and attitude.

Our players are physically average and the highlight of their humiliating stay in India has been the tasty biryanis they have been consuming.

They will go home empty-handed but at least they will be able to tell stories about the different types of biryanis available in India.
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That's not genetic, it's greed and laziness. On that I 100% agree, I've seen how these guys are when they are doing food tours in England.
 
kron said:
If that is so then why are most of them under developed and how come no Afghan athlete ever wins anything of note in Asian games let alone olympics. Sure facilities access to training plays a huge role but I just don't buy this whole physical superiority myth.

It's not true. I have come across many Afghans personally, honestly none look physically strong or durable. They train kickboxing etc but I don't see anything special from a physical point of view.

Average Afghan is also short. Most of the ones I see are well under rhe avesge height here in Australia for example.

They are tough due to how they are raised but that's just about it.

Using your example. Yuvraj barely lifts a dumbbell and yet he has more power than anyone from Afghanistan for example even at this age. Any
kron said:
If that is so then why are most of them under developed and how come no Afghan athlete ever wins anything of note in Asian games let alone olympics. Sure facilities access to training plays a huge role but I just don't buy this whole physical superiority myth.

It's not true. I have come across many Afghans personally, honestly none look physically strong or durable. They train kickboxing etc but I don't see anything special from a physical point of view.

Average Afghan is also short. Most of the ones I see are well under rhe avesge height here in Australia for example.

They are tough due to how they are raised but that's just about it.

Using your example. Yuvraj barely lifts a dumbbell and yet he has more power than anyone from Afghanistan for example even at this age. Any batter.
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Yuvraj is a Punjabi, Indian Punjabis tend to be quite strong. He is also a great timer of the ball.

Afghans enjoy comparative advantage over people of the subcontinent because of their natural traits. They will be go from strength to strength (no pun intended) now that they are improving technically and mentally.

I think Afghanistan’s rise is game over for other subcontinent sides excluding India. They have far more talent than Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
 
Mamoon said:
They have far more talent than Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
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Mamoon forgot to mention England.

Afghanistan have more talent than England (Mamoon's predicted WC winner) in this WC if you apply his bias logic, but we all know what his game plan is.

:)
 
Technics 1210 said:
Mamoon forgot to mention England.

Afghanistan have more talent than England (Mamoon's predicted WC winner) in this WC if you apply his bias logic, but we all know what his game plan is.

:)
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If logic was being used then India wouldn't be mischievously excluded from the genetically inferior Asian band. He really is a little scamp our Mamoon.
 
Technics 1210 said:
Mamoon forgot to mention England.

Afghanistan have more talent than England (Mamoon's predicted WC winner) in this WC if you apply his bias logic, but we all know what his game plan is.

:)
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My predicted winner for this World Cup was never England because they have been in a rut in ODIs since 2021 and they haven’t learned from their mistakes which is why players like Moeen are still in their squad.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Mamoon said:
My predicted winner for this World Cup was never England because they have been in a rut in ODIs since 2021 and they haven’t learned from their mistakes which is why players like Moeen are still in their squad.

Anyway, people with special needs, especially compromised cognitive abilities, have difficulty retaining information so no offense taken.
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Yeah yeah, but the point and fact is Afghanistan have more talent than England according to your logic.

I am guessing you had forgotten Afghanistan had beaten England in this WC. 😂😂😂
 
Mamoon said:
Our players are physically average and the highlight of their humiliating stay in India has been the tasty biryanis they have been consuming.

They will go home empty-handed but at least they will be able to tell stories about the different types of biryanis available in India.
Click to expand...
Hilarious.
Wasim Akram pointed out this matter first and it bacame a popular topics!
 
I m really impressed by Gurbaz by seeing him the way he has been playing in this world cup and also in Asia cup.
 
Really happy to see Afghanistan do well When will they get test status.

I used to think a coach can only operate in a good cricketing system not despite it but twice this has proven wrong.

Firstly Sri Lanka with dav whatmore in 1996 And now Afghanistan with Trott. Ironically I think neither formula could be transplanted in the Pakistan system which is just uniquely dysfunctional.

Afghanistan in 2023 I think might be a flash in the pan, it’s very much a subcontinental team on the rise like the inverse of England …a western team unsuited to subcontinent. Both have a lot of experience in India yet one clearly is better. There’s a problem making one dimensional teams before anybody can say Afghanistan can challenge other established countries.

But taking nothing away from them they are turning heads for sure.
 
Afghanistan have a real chance of doing the incredible. Sri Lanka did it in 96, why not
 
I think there is a bit of novelty with Afghanistan. They will soon come back down to Earth. Happy for them but ….
 
Mamoon said:
There isn’t a single Pakistani players who has physically transformed over the last few years even though they have all the money, time and facilities. It is all about attitude and desire.
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Shan Masood and Hassan Ali, who were both twigs when he first came on the scene, bulked up significantly. Although, the latter is a natural athlete so it probably didn't require as much effort as it does for others.

It is true that most sub-continental teams are packed with unauthentic, skinny-fat blokes but I haven't really seen a stand out athlete from the Afghan side either. The Afghans I've interacted with as well have all been as tall, or as skinny as your average North Indian/Pakistani. I can't think of a single stand out athlete with an Afghan background apart from like 1 or 2 no-name MMA fighters.
 
Major said:
Can Afg win all three games?
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They have already won one of the these games and the way they are playing at the moment, they will be competitive against Australia and South Africa too.
 
I can’t fathom how Afghanistan lost to Bangladesh who are at best a club side. Had they been careful in that game and secured those points we won’t even be talking about Pakistan or England hoping for a semi final spot. It would already be settled.
 
Chip32 said:
Shan Masood and Hassan Ali, who were both twigs when he first came on the scene, bulked up significantly. Although, the latter is a natural athlete so it probably didn't require as much effort as it does for others.

It is true that most sub-continental teams are packed with unauthentic, skinny-fat blokes but I haven't really seen a stand out athlete from the Afghan side either. The Afghans I've interacted with as well have all been as tall, or as skinny as your average North Indian/Pakistani. I can't think of a single stand out athlete with an Afghan background apart from like 1 or 2 no-name MMA fighters.
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Haha nice little side swipe at South Indians. I guess any straw you can clutch these days is a straw you can clutch right?
 
4 wins, can they sneak into the semi finals.

Really hoping they do so
 
They are not beating aus or sa. Thats a bridge too far.. Even if they win one they are still at 10 points with a bad nrr. Thing is teams play well when no pressure but the Bang game was pressure as at that time Afg was still struggling for wins. Post that they are playing freely with no expectations.
 
These guys are technically sound. Feet movement is decisive. More importantly plays the short ball very well. Most impressive. Some of the other Asian sides can learn their methodical approach. I am sure Trott has definitely played a role. Still following it to T is impressive
 
captain.hansolo said:
Haha nice little side swipe at South Indians. I guess any straw you can clutch these days is a straw you can clutch right?
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That’s not a swipe at all. When I mentioned North Indian’s I really just meant Punjabis, as those are the groups of people genetically closest to Afghans.
 
I've been impressed. I really thought it woumd be the end for them when the Taliban came back.

It would be interesting to see their domestic structure and whether they will continue to produce exciting players.
 
Mamoon said:
Yuvraj is a Punjabi, Indian Punjabis tend to be quite strong. He is also a great timer of the ball.

Afghans enjoy comparative advantage over people of the subcontinent because of their natural traits. They will be go from strength to strength (no pun intended) now that they are improving technically and mentally.

I think Afghanistan’s rise is game over for other subcontinent sides excluding India. They have far more talent than Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Click to expand...
They seem to be playing well based on some mature batting and extraordinary spin talent. Neither of those to me is something that is attributable to natural traits.
 
Keep Playing 4 spinners . Their is chance Australia and SA will crumble
 
Mamoon said:
Yuvraj is a Punjabi, Indian Punjabis tend to be quite strong. He is also a great timer of the ball.

Afghans enjoy comparative advantage over people of the subcontinent because of their natural traits. They will be go from strength to strength (no pun intended) now that they are improving technically and mentally.

I think Afghanistan’s rise is game over for other subcontinent sides excluding India. They have far more talent than Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
Click to expand...
BCCI have been training them, their kit supplier is Indian. India has ulterior motives to do so as Shahidi's comments post-match suggests.

But you're right, considering Pakistan's backbone is KPK, Afghanistan are historically a genetically superior nation, combined with technical ability, will make the best team in Subcontinent.



Wouldn't it be funny if Afghanistan rebelled against their master, knocking them out. Very, very possible that if Pakistan fall short, the Afghan venom will truly take hold
 
They have played really good cricket in the last 3 games. They will have another very important game tomorrow against Australia and if they can win tomorrow, they have a very good chance of making it through to the semi-finals that will be a HUGE achievement for them.
 
Stick to Afghanistan cricket in this World Cup

Any posts on other aspects of Afghanistan etc will be deleted

We really dont have time to clean up after established posters but very disappointing.
 
For a side that was struggling not too long ago in the batting department , Afghanistan have found a very good batting tempo, strategy and approach that has reaped rich dividends .

This has coincided with the appointment of Ajay Jadeja as mentor.

Can this rapid improvement in Afghan ODI batting be attributed to Jadeja's presence in their camp?
 
Its unfair to Trott if we credit Jadeja withe brilliant batting displays so far. Remember in August this year AFG posted a total of over 300 against PAK and almost won the match if not for Naseems cameo at the end. Also we have seen footage of Trott have a whiteboard with targets for every 10 overs. Against SL they almost chased 270+ in around 37-38 overs. At that time Jadedja was not with the team.

Yes, Jadeja as mentor has helped AFG such that his knowledge of the venues and conditions would help the team in feilding the best XI and strategizing like to bat or bowl on winning the toss. But the lion share of the credit needs to go to Trott
 
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