Team Composition:
The Afghanistan cricket team is led by Hashmatullah Shahidi and includes players such as Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, and Naveen ul Haq.
Historic Best Performance in the Tournament
The team’s best performance in the Cricket World Cup was in 2015 when they secured the sixth position in Pool A.
In their debut at the global event, Afghanistan showed competitiveness, despite losing all their matches against Test playing nations. Their sole victory was a nail-biting match against Scotland, where they managed a one-wicket win in the final over, marking their only World Cup victory to date.
Recent Performance in Last 10 ODI Matches
The team’s recent performance in the last 10 ODI matches is as follows (from most recent): L L L L L L W W L L
Upcoming Matches
The team’s upcoming fixtures are against Bangladesh, India, England, New Zealand, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Netherlands, Australia, and South Africa, scheduled to take place in various cities across India.
Crucial Match
Against Pakistan (23 October)
Despite Pakistan’s historical dominance over Afghanistan in their previous ODI encounters, the matches between these two teams always generate excitement. Afghanistan has consistently elevated their game against Pakistan, resulting in several thrilling contests.
With their recent T20I series victory against Pakistan and their top-order’s ability to handle the Pakistan attack, Afghanistan is expected to put up a strong fight. The match on 23 October promises to be a thrilling contest.
Player to Watch
Ibrahim Zadran
One of Afghanistan’s promising talents, Ibrahim Zadran, has been instrumental in improving their batting performance. The 21-year-old has already scored four ODI centuries and is nearing the 1000-run mark. His consistent performance and strong partnership with Rahmanullah Gurbaz could be game-changing for Afghanistan in this World Cup.
Overall Outlook
Despite their recent struggles, Afghanistan’s potential cannot be overlooked in the World Cup. Their improved batting performance, coupled with their world-class spin attack, makes them a formidable opponent.
They have shown their ability to challenge stronger teams, as evidenced by their near victories against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Their pace attack, led by Fazalhaz Farooqi and Naveen-ul-Haq, complements their spinners well.
The spin quartet of Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammed Nabi, and Noor Ahmad, with over 400 ODI wickets among them, could be the game-changer in Indian conditions. Additionally, Rashid and Nabi’s batting skills add depth to the team.
As they head into the 2023 World Cup, Afghanistan appears to be in their strongest form yet. If they can find the right team balance and build momentum early in the tournament, they could potentially cause a few upsets.