As Afghanistan prepares for his or her T20 World Cup 2024 opener in opposition to Uganda, captain Rashid Khan believes the staff’s batting has matured to the purpose the place chasing a goal of 200 in a T20I is now not daunting.
Afghanistan had excelled in all departments of their assured win over Scotland in Trinidad of their warm-up fixture.
under_page_title -->“Up to now, we have been struggling just a little bit within the batting space. Earlier our bowlers would do much more and assist us win the video games. Later, we obtained these younger batters, particularly from the Below-19 cricket, and the best way they got here as much as the nationwide facet, and the best way they’ve labored arduous, they obtained the chance to play for Afghanistan at a really younger age after which begin exploring all all over the world, enjoying leagues the place they obtained higher and higher,” Rashid stated on the eve of Afghanistan’s event opener in opposition to Uganda.
“I believe we have now that type of batting line-up the place we will say it’s effective if there’s a goal of 200 as properly on a wicket. We now have that type of means and abilities and expertise that we will specific on the bottom and chase that. T20 cricket is all concerning the mindset. So long as you will have the best mindset, and you’ve got the assumption that we will do, something is feasible.
“The opposite factor is the precise cricket. I believe we have now performed sufficient cricket previously couple of years the place our abilities have gotten higher and higher. And we have now been difficult the opposition,” he added.
Afghanistan finds itself in Group C, together with West Indies, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda. The highest two groups from this group will advance to the Tremendous 8s, and plenty of specialists imagine Afghanistan are poised to be one in every of them.
Rashid acknowledged the rising expectations and stated, “Yeah, just a few folks have talked about Afghanistan goes to be there for semis. We take that as a really optimistic signal. Earlier, it was once arduous for us to even qualify. And now to be nominated to be there within the prime 4, I believe it’s an enormous factor for us,” he stated.
Nevertheless, Rashid emphasises that the staff will not be getting carried away. Their focus stays on the current, taking every sport because it comes. “It’s all about how we’re going to be there on the bottom, delivering. We have been very practically within the final [ODI] World Cup semis as properly. We have been only one sport away from being within the semis and that’s the place I really feel the assumption began that nothing is unattainable for us as a staff.”
Preparation has been key for Afghanistan as they arrived early within the Caribbean and held a two-week preparatory camp. Rashid additionally complemented the expertise many gamers gained within the Caribbean Premier League (CPL).
“Nicely, I believe preparation has been nice thus far. A few weeks again, we had a home T20 competitors, which actually helped the fellows to get the type of preparation they want as a participant and as a staff. After which we have been right here two weeks earlier as properly. So we obtained the preparation we wished as a staff.”
