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

Cricket Warrior said:
So why dont they go to india and use their facilities?

Why they always choose pakistan?

Pakistan always put in some extra efforts for Afghanistan to achieve such standards in cricket but still no gratitude by them!
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When was the last time Afghanistan cricket team used Pakistani facilities?

When was the last time they used Indian facilities?
 
thelandofthebravepeople said:
Why is Pakistan so desperate to take credit for Afghanistan success?

As one of the former CEO of Afghanistan cricket said they owe nothing to Pakistan.

He said we paid all Pakistani coaches well above what the PCB would ever pay them. They did not come for charity but because they were paid handsomely in USD.

He said every time we went to Pakistan to use their facilities we paid for it in USD.

Afghanistan can be proud of their campaign. They played great cricket. Only a freak inning by Maxwell knocked them out.
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I am a big fan of Afghanistan cricket, but the truth is, Afghanistan Cricket is in debt towards Pakistan cricket.

Afghanistan did not have club cricket or any proper set up in their country for many years. I remember uptil 2016 (my last year of club cricket), Afghan cricketers were playing club cricket in Pakistan, because there are more clubs in Pakistan, better competition of players etc. Guys like Dawlat Zadran and his brother were playing in Rawalpindi/Islamabad area. Mohammad Shezad was living in Peshawar.

During the early years ACB was sending their team to Pakistan for practice, we even allowed them to play in our ramazan tournaments aswell. Pakistan even let Nabi play for Pakistan customs back in 2008 i think.

Thing is, Pakistan supported Afghanistan cricket alot, especially during the initial years. Taj Malik and Allahdad Noori used to look for resources in Pakistan not in India. It was after when Afghanistan started to rise and the political govt decided to run things that they started to play politics with ACB aswell.

There was no need for ACB to choose sides, and should had stayed neutral in regional politics. The ACB head made statements against Pakistan and praised India and he ruined all the help Afg could had gotten from Pakistan.

Afghanistan cant host games, but they could had hosted games in Pakistan and made money off gate receipts because of the large pathan population in our country.

Afghanistan only got Noida Stadium in India to play games and practice. In Pakistan they were getting club cricket, coaching, some lived in Peshawar and some even were getting chances in our domestic league.
 
thelandofthebravepeople said:
When was the last time Afghanistan cricket team used Pakistani facilities?

When was the last time they used Indian facilities?
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u better ask them but u cant deny the truth that pakistan helped them alot in their early days of cricket to learn and grow for which they must be thankful.
 
There are probably a lot of people saying "Well done, Afghanistan played their heart out in this World Cup and had a great 2023 World Cup Campaign, such a wonderful story to tell and look back at when the years go by".

Yes well done to Afghanistan.

But for me, they really have missed out on a semi-final spot. And Im not talking in a fantasy way, I really do mean that they have well and truly missed out on making the semi-finals.

How did they lose to Bangladesh?

And the match against Australia simply should have been won.

Had they won against Australia and Bangladesh, that would have taken them to 12 points before having even played South Africa.

The sad possibility for Afghanistan is: Golden opportunities like the one they had in this 2023 World Cup may never come for a very long time. But I hope it gets better for them.
 
Afghanistan has been good in this World Cup but sadly they lost against Australia due to their own mistakes. Had they won that match, they would have been in the race for the semis 1st time ever. Not doing good in their last match atm againstt South Africa
 
Most 50-plus scores for Afghanistan in World Cups

5 - Hashmatullah Shahidi
4 - Rahmat Shah
3 - Azmatulllah Omarzai
 
Rana said:
Stage collapsed I think
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They couldn't make the Semis, but they defeated teams like England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and almost got over the line against Australia. A world cup campaign to remember for them
 
THey have win predictability of 94 against Australia. Game was almost done and dusted when they shelled 2 catches. Even Maxie was only hoping for 30 more runs and it just came off admittedly.
 
Afghans are a scary opposition for the top teams when they bat first. If they put up 250, it can be very tough to chase. Beaten eng, Pak, SL and almost the Aussies too. Dangerous side. I wonder how much will be around for the next WC though.
 
If they win today against South Africa, they can't go past New Zealand's superior net run-rate
 
Hashmatullah Shahidi during post match (Afghanistan vs South Africa) interview:

"As a captain I am quite happy with our performance. We fought till the last moment in each and every game. Good learnings for us in the future. Proud of the way our batters performed in this tournament. We were struggling before this tournament so we sat together and talked about the weak point, so at the end, you saw the result how our batsmen did. That's a positive thing, looking forward to the future. Everyone knows that we have good spin department. If we go with the same momentum, we'll be a very good side. We gave a good message to the world in this tournament. We played big teams and we fought till the last moment. Australian game, it was in our hands, but it was shocking for us."
 
A successful campaign I would say given what were the exceptions at the beginning of the tournament. They will become only stronger from now. They should be proud of their performances.
 
shokz1408 said:
Afghans are a scary opposition for the top teams when they bat first. If they put up 250, it can be very tough to chase. Beaten eng, Pak, SL and almost the Aussies too. Dangerous side. I wonder how much will be around for the next WC though.
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I think t20 WC they can have a good chance there . The confidence they got from this WC is immense
 
Definitely showed better planning than us this WC, especially in chases. Continued to be a spin threat, even their bench spinner Noor who came in later in the tournament was way above any of ours.
Will be rueing the loss to bangladesh who they would have beat on most days and the way they came apart when Maxwell obliterated them.
Hope they keep improving after this WC, especially since they probably won't have Trott as coach for long as England and other big teams will be sniffing around.
 
They played some good cricket. Believe it or not, alot of credit goes to the Taliban lmaooo

So there is an afghan spinner by the name of Abdullah Mazari, played for Afghanistan and plays domestic cricket. When Taliban took over, he decided to join them, and when they stormed the ACB office, he told ACB dont worry we will let you continue your work. In the team mean time he got himself a selector post in ACB.

Anyways, ACB selected a team on merit for the World Cup and not made the mistakes of 2019 by bringing in old has beens.
 
Afghans were superb in this World Cup.

Finishing 6th and qualifying for CT 2025 (their first CT ever).
 
Asif321 said:
I think t20 WC they can have a good chance there . The confidence they got from this WC is immense
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Yeah I imagine they’ll be as threatening if not more in the shorter format. Dangerous side to chase against. And opening batsmen who can take the game away, takes just one partnership, especially in t20.
 
Speaking to Adam Gilchrist and Michael Vaughan in a podcast, Maxwell said that the players of a subcontinent team like Afghanistan would start fighting amongst themselves, if he managed to stay on crease for a longer duration.

“The energy that they had in the first 15-20 overs was extraordinary and we have seen that a lot from them. I have played(against) a lot of subcontinental teams and one thing I have always found that if you could take the sting out of the game, not by runs but by basically being there, you play one or two shots in every couple of overs and you can see how flat it starts to get. They start a bit of bickering, infighting, finger-pointing, arms-raising, fielders not paying attention, it sort of starts to unravel,” Maxwell said on Club Prairie Fire Podcast.

Maxwell further said that his experience in playing golf helped him play some unique shots during his double ton against Afghanistan.

“It's got a lot to do with positions I get myself into on the golf course where I'm stuck behind a tree and I have to turn my wrist around. Flick it around. It allows you to be inventive. One of things I used to work for every BBL game was to do drills where the first 12 balls I'd stand dead still and hit them as far as I could as a warm-up to get trajectory. Working on upper body movement without using legs, tinker with bowlers,” he added.

NDTV​
 
Shoaib Malik on Afghnistan:

"Afghanistan played better cricket than us"

"In my opinion, if we are just sticking with this World Cup then yes Afghanistan have played better cricket than us,"


Wasim Akram:

"Afghans looked stronger. Maybe, our boys looked fatigued because they were playing cricket continuously. Afghanistan cricketers looked better than Pakistan, there is no doubt,"
 
After a successful journey at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023, the AfghanAtalan returned home this evening and faced an incredible welcome in Kabul.

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Title says it all. They have lots of natural talents in spin department, fast bowling is ok. Batsmen plays fearless and attacking cricket. They fight till the end. They are consistently beating Pakistan, SL in U-19, A categories. Even they were 2nd in recent Asian games.

Your opinion please!!!!
 
Been fantastic at this WC, but will only become 2nd best when they start beating our senior side on a regular basis.
I wouldn't put that past them, especially on turning tracks. But for now we are still 2nd best.
 
They finished 6th below us, with a much worse NRR.

They got smashed 3-0 in Sri Lanka on spinning tracks.

So, no unfortunately they are not the 2nd best side yet if their best is not good enough to eclipse one of our worst performing teams ever in a World Cup.

They need 1 or 2 more capable batsmen like Gurbaz, and they desperately need quality pace bowlers to compete. Spin bowling is arguably the best in the world.
 
They are a good side but not the 2nd best team in Asia.

Once this generation retire this will test Afghan to see if the cricketing infrastructure can produce more quality players.

We no even Kenya qualified for a semi final at the WC so we’re are they now? throw Zim into the fold.

I hope i am proven wrong. Afghan won’t produce another Rashid or Mujeeb in our lifetime.
 
Eoin Morgan: Afghanistan’s remarkable journey leaves an enduring impact

Afghanistan's World Cup journey has been nothing short of remarkable, leaving an enduring impact on the tournament.

Despite ultimately missing out on the semi-finals, their four wins from nine games was a truly commendable performance.

The familiar faces of Rashid Khan, Naveen-ul-Haq, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman shone, but the revelation came in the form of Azmatullah Omarzai, who amassed over 300 runs.

This glimpse into the next generation underscores Afghanistan's potential as they continue their transformation from upset creators to consistent contenders against cricket's elite.

India, the host nation and pre-tournament favourites, have lived up to expectations with an unbeaten run in the group stages.

Rarely do favourites meet the hype, but India, buoyed by overwhelming support, seem indomitable under Rohit Sharma's leadership.

The upcoming challenge against New Zealand, a well-disciplined side and a past nemesis, adds a different dimension to India's journey.

In stark contrast, England's campaign has been a disappointing saga, culminating in an early exit.

From the initial loss to New Zealand to subsequent defeats against South Africa, India, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, the defending champions found little to celebrate.

The captain-coach duo of Jos Buttler and Matthew Mott must now grapple with the elusive reasons behind this dramatic slump, emphasising the urgency to identify and rectify the issues before heading to defend their ICC Men’s T20 World Cup crown in the USA and the Caribbean next year.

South Africa, on the other hand, have impressed with their batting prowess, emerging as a side capable of thriving under pressure.

Their semi-final clash with the resurgent Australians promises to be a thrilling encounter. Australia, perennial contenders, overcame initial setbacks to build momentum, setting the stage for a compelling semi-final.

Both teams must adhere to their aggressive styles to succeed, with Australia relying on past experiences while South Africa are exuding confidence under Temba Bavuma's leadership.

As the group stage dust settles, Afghanistan's promise, India's dominance, England's struggles, and the intriguing semi-final clash between South Africa and Australia define the narrative of this World Cup so far.

Plenty more drama awaits in the knockout stages, with each match offering new twists and turns, building anticipation for the crowning moment that awaits cricket fans worldwide.
 
captain.hansolo said:
Hahahaha you have no idea what you speak of.
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I meant from what you would consider South Asian i.e. everyone east of the Indus River, they're the closest to Pashtuns/Afghans, how is that a controversial statement? That is geographically and genetically true.
 
ACB Confirm All-Format Tour to Sri Lanka and Home Series against Ireland

The Afghanistan Cricket Board today finalized the dates for AfghanAtalan’s upcoming all-format away tour to Sri Lanka and home series against Ireland in February – March. The Team will first tour Sri Lanka for a one-off test, three ODIs, and three T20I matches from February 2 to 21, and then will host Ireland for as many matches from 28th February to 18th March in UAE.

AfghanAtalan’s away tour to Sri Lanka begins with a solitary test match at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo from 2nd to 6th February. The one-off test match will be followed by three ODI Matches which are scheduled on the 9th, 11th, and 14th of February at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, followed by three T20Is on the 17th, 19th, and 21st of February at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.

The Afghanistan National Team will then travel to the United Arab Emirates where the Afghanistan Cricket Board will host the Ireland National Cricket Team for an all-format series comprised of a test, three ODIs, and three T20Is from February 28 to March 18.

Similar to the Sri Lanka Series, AfghanAtalan’s home series against Ireland will also begin with a one-off test match at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from 28th February to 3rd March. This will be followed by three ODI Matches which are scheduled on the 7th, 9th, and 12th of March, and three T20I Matches on the 15th, 17th, and 18th of March at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE.

Mr. Mirwais Ashraf, Chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, expressed his happiness over the fruitful discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket Officials that led to the inclusion of three ODIs to this tour, which already included three T20Is and a Test match. He added: “The addition of these three ODIs is a significant move to ensure a complete and comprehensive tour which not only provides good exposure to Afghanistan Cricket but will also foster stronger relations between the two nations. Playing Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka is always tricky but is a challenge that AfghanAtalan can easily embrace."

Meanwhile, Mr. Naseeb Khan, the CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, expressed his pleasure over the action-packed season of the AfghanAtalan for the next few months which will help in the team’s full preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20I World Cup in the Caribbean & USA in June. “The Year 2024 is a very busy and full of highly voltage competitions for the Afghanistan National Team which is a very good and positive sign for Afghanistan Cricket. The upcoming tours of India, and Sri Lanka, and then the home series against Ireland will help us to prepare the team for the much-important T20 World Cup. Eagerly looking for the multiple series upfront.”

Etisalat Afghanistan Telecommunications Company has secured rights as the National Team’s main sponsor for the away tour of Sri Lanka and has also obtained the title sponsorship rights for the all-format home series against Ireland.

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Source: ACB
 
Taliban sets sights on making Afghanistan a global power in cricket

During the Taliban’s first stint in power in the 1990s, its disdain for many sports meant that Kabul’s main stadium drew some of its biggest crowds on the days it was used for public executions.

But since seizing control in Kabul a second time in 2021, the Taliban has turned to making Afghanistan into a global cricketing power, with ambitious plans for a state-of-the-art cricket stadium that could host international matches.

The men’s national team was already on the rise before the takeover but has continued to thrive under the new regime, defying expectations and scoring stunning upsets in international play. Privately funded cricket academies have seen a surge in the number of new players.

Cricket’s appeal to the Taliban may be partly rooted in the sport’s long-standing popularity in ethnic Pashtun communities, where the Taliban has traditionally drawn its strongest support. But as cricket’s reach expands across ethnic lines, the regime may also view the sport as useful.

“Cricket brings the country together,” said Abdul Ghafar Farooq, a spokesman for the Taliban’s Ministry of Vice and Virtue.

Within days of the takeover in August 2021, Anas Haqqani, the influential younger brother of the Taliban’s interior minister, visited the Afghan cricket board to demonstrate the new government’s support for the sport.

Haqqani, a cricket fan who recently injured his foot while playing volleyball, said Taliban soldiers would have made excellent cricket stars. “If we hadn’t waged a war, many of us would be on the national team now,” he said in a rare interview. “The future of cricket here is very bright.”

Taliban soldiers and other spectators closely followed the Cricket World Cup last fall in India, gathering to watch on large screens in parks, at male salons at wedding venues and in television shops. Cheering on their team as it delivered shocking victories against England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands, some Taliban soldiers fired celebratory shots into the sky.

“People don’t have anything to enjoy in Afghanistan, but cricket gives us happiness,” said Mohammad Gul Ahmadzai, 48, who used to watch soccer matches on the television in his travel agency in central Kabul until the broadcasts became less frequent.

Although global soccer is dominated by teams that are often awash in money, he said, the smaller number of serious international competitors in cricket gives Afghans a more realistic chance of winning.

Others say Afghanistan’s cricket frenzy is primarily fed by desperation. Farhard Amirzai, 17, said he and his friends have come to view a professional cricket career as the only path out of poverty.

After the Taliban took power, boys “lost interest in education,” said Amirzai, who spends much of his time practicing on a barren field in Kabul with a makeshift tape-covered cricket ball. “Young people think that even if they graduate from school or university, they won’t find a good job under the current government. So, they try their luck with cricket.”

Even though cricket academies have seen a spike in sign-ups since the Taliban took over, most young Afghans, including Amirzai, cannot afford them.

Taliban soldier Abdul Mobin Mansor would love to join, too, but the 19-year-old said his job leaves him little time. He has wanted to become a national team player ever since he and his comrades — still waging the armed rebellion and hiding in caves at the time — started following the sport on battery-powered radios, he said.

And for Afghan women, there is no chance at all. One of the Taliban-run government’s first actions after the takeover was to ban women from playing sports, reintroducing the policy the movement had put in place when it previously held power and shattering female athletes’ dreams.

Believed to have been invented in England in the 16th century, cricket was one of the British Empire’s most popular cultural exports. By the early 20th century, the sport thrived in Australia, British India — which includes what is today India, Pakistan and Bangladesh — and other places in the region. But it was slow to catch on in Afghanistan, where the national sport remained buzkashi, an equestrian game in which horsemen try to score a goal with a carcass, traditionally that of a goat or calf but now almost always fake.

Cricket’s fortunes began to change here after the 1979 Soviet invasion forced millions to flee to Pakistan. The sport rapidly caught on in northwestern Pakistan’s Afghan refugee camps, which were primarily home to Pashtuns. The sport later found its way to Kabul when some Afghans returned in the late 1990s during the Taliban’s first time in power.

Among the first Afghan cricket players was Allah Dad Noori, then the national team’s captain. In an interview, Noori said he initially worried that the Taliban would not allow cricket. But his family’s ties to the regime may have helped convince them. “My brother-in-law, who later spent time in Guantánamo, had already told the Taliban about me,” Noori recalled. “He said to them, ‘This man is the greatest cricketer, and if you capture Kabul you should approve cricket.’”

When British businessman Stuart Bentham arrived in Kabul a couple of years later, he became one of the first foreigners to attend an Afghan cricket match, held in the same Kabul stadium that the Taliban was using for executions.

At the time, the Taliban had soccer players’ heads shaved as punishment for wearing shorts. The long trousers of cricket players may have raised fewer religious concerns, Bentham said, but cricket’s popularity in neighboring Pakistan probably also played a role in the Taliban desire to promote the sport.

“Pakistan had a lot of influence over the Taliban at that time,” he said.

The Afghan team’s importance to the Taliban has begun to prompt uncomfortable questions abroad. Australia’s national cricket team announced early last year that it would boycott matches against Afghanistan to protest the Taliban’s repression of girls and women. But during the Cricket World Cup, the Australians rescinded the boycott, disappointing many Afghan women and others.

Weeda Omari, 35, said she hopes no foreign team would agree to play in a Kabul stadium under the Taliban. Omari used to work as a women’s sports coordinator for Kabul’s municipality until her team of colleagues was disbanded within days of the takeover.

She has since fled the country, but 80 percent of the female athletes whom she supervised are still in Afghanistan. “Their families accuse them of having drawn the Taliban’s ire by becoming athletes, and now they’re being pushed to marry,” said Omari. “Many call me to cry.”

Even though the Taliban-run government remains internationally isolated and under heavy sanctions, a spokesman for Afghanistan’s cricket board said it was recently granted about $16 million from the Dubai-based International Cricket Council, with media reports suggesting that Afghan cricket can expect to receive similar annual contributions in coming years.

In a statement, the ICC said it “will not penalise the [Afghanistan Cricket Board], or its players for abiding by the laws set by the government of their country,” but continues to advocate for women’s cricket in the country. The ICC does not release public details on member funding.

In an interview, Hamdullah Nomani, the Taliban’s minister of urban development, said plans to construct a major new cricket stadium in Kabul have been discussed at the highest levels of leadership. Although the idea for a new stadium originated under the previous government, the Taliban-run government appears intent on helping to finish the project with private funding.

The government’s primary concern is that the stadium might not be big enough. “There’s not enough land,” Nomani said.

The Washington Post
 
Noor Ali Zadran, who represented Afghanistan in 2 Tests, 51 ODIs and 23 T20Is, has announced his retirement from international cricket. Zadran faced the country's first ball in ODIs.
 
The beating they gave to Pakistan was a long time coming tbh.

Although I don't get how they lost to bangaldesh, Australia I would consider unlucky though, Maxwell was basically Superman that day.
 
Famous win over Australia in the T20 World Cup. Last time they missed by barest of margins but no Maxwell party this time for Australia.
 
Their passion and commitment when they are not playing india is unbelievable.
 
Australia was outclasses in all departments. The first wicket of Head set the tone. Afghanistan wining is no more upset.
 
The challenge for other teams is to force Afghanistan into the same mindset that they find themselves in when they play India.

They will never win a game of cricket.
 
Mamoon said:
The challenge for other teams is to force Afghanistan into the same mindset that they find themselves in when they play India.

They will never win a game of cricket.
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LOL India is way better, no matter with what mindset they play. And of course one day they will win. T20 CRICKET at some point you will win. Like the game vs AUS.
 
pakistani pride said:
LOL India is way better, no matter with what mindset they play. And of course one day they will win. T20 CRICKET at some point you will win. Like the game vs AUS.
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It is not about being way better. There are plenty of teams that are way better than them when it comes to skills and experience, and they have beaten all those teams or at least have come close to beating them.

Vs India, it is not just about not winning but the way they play is embarrassing to say the least. I don’t know if they scared, intimidated or have an inferiority complex, but they are an embarrassment to watch vs India.
 
Mamoon said:
It is not about being way better. There are plenty of teams that are way better than them when it comes to skills and experience, and they have beaten all those teams or at least have come close to beating them.

Vs India, it is not just about not winning but the way they play is embarrassing to say the least. I don’t know if they scared, intimidated or have an inferiority complex, but they are an embarrassment to watch vs India.
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They have run India very close a few times, i think even tied one game. So not sure what you are on about. Sooner or later they will win a game vs India as well.
 
Mamoon said:
Their passion and commitment when they are not playing india is unbelievable.
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Its really pathetic that Pakistan fans think Afghanistan deliberately lost the game india. Very shocking its coming from you.
 
Against all other teams they play like tigers.

Against India they become a tame house cat that rolls over and lets the Indians tickle it's tummy.
 
Mamoon said:
It is not about being way better. There are plenty of teams that are way better than them when it comes to skills and experience, and they have beaten all those teams or at least have come close to beating them.

Vs India, it is not just about not winning but the way they play is embarrassing to say the least. I don’t know if they scared, intimidated or have an inferiority complex, but they are an embarrassment to watch vs India.
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This is not coming close to win? 2019 world cup

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Devadwal said:
Its really pathetic that Pakistan fans think Afghanistan deliberately lost the game india. Very shocking its coming from you.
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When did I use the word deliberate?


They are just to nervous and timid when they play India because they fear them.
 
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jnaveen1980 said:
This is not coming close to win? 2019 world cup

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Watched the whole game. Afghanistan never looked like chasing the total at any point. They were behind the eight ball from the start and never got ahead.

It’s one of those games where the scorecard doesn’t reflect how the game panned out.
 
Devadwal said:
Its really pathetic that Pakistan fans think Afghanistan deliberately lost the game india. Very shocking its coming from you.
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The way they parry the ball over the boundary’s & Nabis over reactions.. you think the public was born yesterday
 
Mamoon said:
Watched the whole game. Afghanistan never looked like chasing the total at any point. They were behind the eight ball from the start and never got ahead.

It’s one of those games where the scorecard doesn’t reflect how the game panned out.
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No with 12 to get in 5 balls they were very much on target to win it. First restricting India to such a low total itself requires some brilliance. I also watched. After first 4 i was seriously worried.
 
Mamoon said:
When did I use the word deliberate?

I think they are scared of their papa. That’s all. I didn’t say that deliberately lose to India. Of course they don’t.

They are just to nervous and timid when they play India because they fear them.
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Same sentence you are using for afganistan can also applied for pakistan when they were played against india in world cup .

So don't be too Harsh .they are most improving side in the world .
 
Mamoon said:
It is not about being way better. There are plenty of teams that are way better than them when it comes to skills and experience, and they have beaten all those teams or at least have come close to beating them.

Vs India, it is not just about not winning but the way they play is embarrassing to say the least. I don’t know if they scared, intimidated or have an inferiority complex, but they are an embarrassment to watch vs India.
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they become to friendly playing against them
 
Afghanistan is reminding me alot of classic Pakistan aka amazing pacers, Amazing spinners, amazing openers and an average middle order.

Classic Pakistan also typically shelled a few catches or missed a few run outs and while they would mostly lose to top class sides, they'd pull upsets here and their due to never backing down and mentally being in it.

The way Afghanistan is playing is how Pakistani fans want Pakistan to play. I kept telling people even last year by 2023 wc, Afghanistan had officially surpassed Pakistan and left them in the dust.
 
I’m happy for Afghanistan 🇦🇫! They don’t have to deal with such a tuktuk Defensive mindset like we have in Pakistan which was created by Misbah azhar ali sort of players! We should learn aggression from our Afghan brothers… and banned tuktuk sort of players
 
mominsaigol said:
Afghanistan is reminding me alot of classic Pakistan aka amazing pacers, Amazing spinners, amazing openers and an average middle order.

Classic Pakistan also typically shelled a few catches or missed a few run outs and while they would mostly lose to top class sides, they'd pull upsets here and their due to never backing down and mentally being in it.

The way Afghanistan is playing is how Pakistani fans want Pakistan to play. I kept telling people even last year by 2023 wc, Afghanistan had officially surpassed Pakistan and left them in the dust.
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Indeed.

This Afghan team is very spirited like Pakistan from 90's and 2000's. Afghanistan is currently a very exciting team to watch (even for neutrals).
 
LOL at the hype for Afghan team. While Pak is pathetic ATM and even minnow level, but comparing it to the past Pak teams....

In T20s upsets are not that hard.
 
Mamoon said:
When did I use the word deliberate?

I think they are scared of their papa. That’s all. I didn’t say that deliberately lose to India. Of course they don’t.

They are just to nervous and timid when they play India because they fear them.
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The skill set of Afghans is very familiar to Indians. Also Afghans and Indians share a very good rapport. So there isn't much verbal confrontation except for Kohli vs Naveen for a bit there. I'm not sure there's fear but there is a lot less spirited "passionate" body language
 
Mamoon said:
Their passion and commitment when they are not playing india is unbelievable.
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They don't need to look elsewhere. Just take inspiration from their own football team that beat India.
 
pakistani pride said:
LOL at the hype for Afghan team. While Pak is pathetic ATM and even minnow level, but comparing it to the past Pak teams....

In T20s upsets are not that hard.
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I never said their = to classic Pakistan.

Classic Pakistan with saeed anwar, Inzi, Miandad, Aamer sohail, Salem malik, Wasim, Waqar, Imran and multiple other players who came during that era are far superior to any of the current lot.

I was comparing their mentality and drawing an analogy.

Currently Afghanistan have very good openers that can handle international level bowling including the likes of Cummings and Hazelwood, However their middle order is weak and their fielding sucks. But their bowling is class and their mentality of never backing down is consistent.

Classic Pakistan was the same, Saeed Anwar was top 5 odi bats in his era and aamer sohail complemented him well, Even Afridi opened with saeed on occasion and did extremly well. Only downside was rameez raja being a thorn when he opened.

The top to middle order of Ijaz Ahmed, Salem malik, Inzi, Miandad etc etc is world class today, however in that era it was average compared to the rest of the world especially Australia. Although the MO was still no where near as brittle as the Afghanistan mo.

And pace bowling and spin bowling g was class as well.

No one claimed Afghanistan is equal to Classic Pakistan in skill.
 
Always knew these guys had it in them to reach an icc semis, now im hopinh they can reach the finals now
 
Major said:
Always knew these guys had it in them to reach an icc semis, now im hopinh they can reach the finals now
Click to expand...
There will be no point in having a final if it is India vs Afghanistan.
 
Congratulations to them.

To keep going despite the turmoil in their country is an achievement in itself.

Not many people have had careers like Mohammed Nabi in cricket.
 
Mamoon said:
There will be no point in having a final if it is India vs Afghanistan.
Click to expand...
bro it doesnt matter.

What matters is that Afghanistan can have something to cheer about and a new cricket nation has risen up.

Pakistan should take advantage of this and make a rivalry out of this, but the issue is because we have this superiority complex when its comes to the Afghans, we will also blow this up.
 
Afghanistan is basically the new Pakistan.

Aka a solid mid class team that has quality bowling but batting is on the weaker side and fielding is inconsistent.

All that's left is to fluke a tournament once every decade like Pakistan has once or 2x
 
mominsaigol said:
Afghanistan is basically the new Pakistan.

Aka a solid mid class team that has quality bowling but batting is on the weaker side and fielding is inconsistent.

All that's left is to fluke a tournament once every decade like Pakistan has once or 2x
Click to expand...
We are not a solid mid class team, when we have literally no middle order batsmen or a world class spinner in our entire cricketing system.
 
Usman Chadda said:
We are not a solid mid class team, when we have literally no middle order batsmen or a world class spinner in our entire cricketing system.
Click to expand...
I'm referring to classic Pakistan, not current.

Hence the phrase Afghanistan is the new Pakistan meaning they've replaced current Pakistan who've transitioned into a minnow
 

Success has many fathers but failure is orphan​

====

Behind Afghanistan's Rise In World Cricket, BCCI, India's 'Hidden Role​


Not just another fairytale, Afghanistan's rise in world cricket has arguably been unparalleled. They only became full members of the International Cricket Council in 2017, and in 2024, the team booked its passage into the semi-finals of a World Cup (T20) for the first time. Often dubbed as minnows or underdogs in major events, Afghanistan produced some eye-opening performances this T20 World Cup, especially against New Zealand and Australia, to reach as far as the semi-finals. While a big chunk of credit goes to the players for stepping up their game and delivering when it mattered the most, India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have also played a major role in their rise.

How India and BCCI helped Afghanistan scale new heights in world cricket through their 'hidden role':

Home Ground In India: The Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex in Greater Noida first became the temporary "home ground" for Afghanistan in 2015, all thanks to the BCCI. Afghanistan shifted their base to Noida from Sharjah and even played international matches against Ireland in Greater Noida in 2017.

Greater Noida isn't the only 'home ground' for Afghanistan, they had also "hosted" a Twenty20 series against Bangladesh in Dehradun.

Indian Coaches' Guidance: By providing facilities, the BCCI gave Afghanistan the platform to excel. But, that wasn't all. Former India players Lalchand Rajput, Manoj Prabhakar, and Ajay Jadeja have all coached the Afghanistan team in the past. In fact, Jadeja was their mentor as recently as the ODI World Cup 2023.

The BCCI, unarguably the most powerful cricket board in the world, had even invited then-Afghanistan president Ashraf Ghani to watch the team play its first Test match in Bengaluru, taking a big step forward to strengthen the relations between the two nations and teams.

The Incredible Role Of IPL: The Indian Premier League has arguably been the biggest contributor to Afghanistan players' success in the sport. Many Afghan players play in the T20 league, earning a handsome salary to help not just their own game but also inspire others in the country.

Over the years, the participation of Afghan players has increased drastically in the IPL and the number is only going to go up.

Source: NDTV
 
I picture most teams taking them very seriously going forward and going very hard against them in terms of playing their full strength and even in terms of approach.

Let's be real, this Afghanistan team is good in conditions which suit them ie slow, subcontinent, spinning wickets but they have let their recent successes get to their heads and I have found their recent antics where the players and their fans have been taking unnecessary pot shots at Pakistan in order to please the Indians very off putting.

I am glad the proteas bought them down to earth in the manner that they did.
 
They should continue to do well.

But, I think they need certain pitches to succeed. On flat pitches, they generally aren't very effective.

Their batting need serious work. Too reliant on 2-3 batters. Once they get out quickly, Afghans are in trouble.

Bowling is their strongest aspect. They have gun spinners and decent pacers.
 
Their batting is suitable for ODIs. In order to be good in T20 you need differnet skill set. These guys work hard. They will get better. Almost all the Afghanistan success stories in the IPL are bowlers (Naveen, Rasheed, Muijibur, Noor.). Gurbaz is the only batsman that iPL uses.
 
There's consensus – Afghanistan's cricket team is unstoppable in Asian conditions
 
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