The Cricket Festival is just a few days away, and we're all excited to witness some incredible cricket with nail-biting finishes. The ICC Cricket World Cup is where dreams are made and broken, and it's a tournament that's open to anyone. Some watch with wide-open eyes, while others feel it with closed eyes. With that said, let's look at the Afghanistan team's squad.
INTRODUCTION:
Afghanistan is a rising team in Asia, and they're one to watch out for in the World Cup. Unfortunately, they didn't perform well in the 2019 WC campaign due to weak batting and a lack of experience. However, this time around, the conditions in India will suit them, and they have the potential to upset anyone. The opening duo of Gurbaz and Ibrahim performed exceptionally well against Pakistan in the recent ODI series, dominating the pace trio of Pakistan with ease. Afghanistan has always had a great spin bowling department, and the Indian pitches' conditions will suit them. The experience of Nabi and Rashid will undoubtedly help Afghanistan in this tournament.
In terms of the spin department, Rashid, Nabi, Noor, and Mujeeb are the nightmares of their opponents.
Squad:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Azmatullah Omarzai, Noor Ahmed, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen ul Haq, Ikram Alikhil(wk), Abdul Rahman.
Reserves:
Gulbadin Naib, Farid Malik, Sharafuddin Ashraf.
The Exclusion of Gulbadin Naib from the Main Squad is shocking for everyone. The sole performer in the Pakistan series and the former captain who led his team in the last CWC 2019 is now in traveling reserves and won't be part of the main Squad.
PROBABLE 11:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK) , Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen ul Haq, Azmatullah Omarzai/Noor Ahmed.
Interesting facts and Stats about the Afghanistan team:
- Ibrahim Zadran is the only Afghani batter to have an ODI average above 40(53.53; min. 5 innings).
- 23 Innings taken by Gurbaz to score his fifth century in ODIs. Only two batters have taken fewer innings to score their fifth men's ODI hundred - Quinton de Kock and Imam-ul-Haq in 19 innings each.
-Mohammad Nabi scored the fastest fifty for Afghanistan in a recently concluded Asia series against Sri Lanka.
-Mujeeb ur Rahman holds the record for the highest score by a no.9 batter in ODIs against Pakistan.
- Gurbaz, Zadran holds the record of the biggest partnership for Afghanistan in ODIs
- 227 - Partnership between Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran against Pakistan is the second-highest opening stand to end up on the losing side in ODI cricket.
- 227 runs scored by Gurbaz and Ibrahim is the second-highest opening stand by any pair against Pakistan.
-151 - Gurbaz's score against Pakistan is the second-highest individual score for Afghanistan in ODI cricket.
-The highest is by Ibrahim Zadran, who made 162 against Sri Lanka in 2022.
- 162 runs by Ibrahim is also the third-highest score in ODIs in Sri Lanka
- Gurbaz is also the first wicketkeeper with a 150-plus score in ODIs against Pakistan, the previous-highest score was MS Dhoni's 148.
- Rashid Khan is the fastest and youngest Bowler to take 100 ODI wickets.
- Rashid Khan is the Youngest Captain in the history of ODI and Test cricket.
Players to watch out:
Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran
The duo of Gurbaz and Ibrahim have made a strong impression on the world of cricket. With Gurbaz's aggressive mindset and Ibrahim's calm and composed approach, they are the perfect combination for Afghanistan, setting records and showing good form. These players are sure to contribute to the success of the Afghanistan cricket team in the World Cup.
Mujeeb ur Rahman
Mujeeb ur Rahman is well-known as a mystery spinner and his bowling skills are highly regarded in the cricket world. His power play bowling on Indian pitches is expected to be a real treat to watch and he is sure to surprise everyone with his mystery deliveries. Additionally, Mujeeb's batting skills will be a hot topic in this tournament as he currently holds the record for the second-fastest fifty by an Afghanistan player in ODI. So, keep an eye out not only for his bowling, but also for his batting.
Fixtures of Afghanistan in this World Cup 2023:
1)Saturday, October 7: Bangladesh v Afghanistan, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala – 10:30 am
2)Wednesday, October 11: India v Afghanistan, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi – 2 pm
3)Sunday, October 15: England v Afghanistan, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi – 2 pm
4)Wednesday, October 18: New Zealand v Afghanistan, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 2 pm
5)Monday, October 23: Pakistan v Afghanistan, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 2 pm
6)Monday, October 30: Afghanistan v Sri Lanka, MCA International Stadium, Pune – 2 pm
7)Friday, November 3: Netherlands v Afghanistan, BRSABVE Stadium, Lucknow – 2 pm
8)Tuesday, November 7: Australia v Afghanistan, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai – 2 pm
9)Friday, November 10: South Africa v Afghanistan, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad – 2 pm
Afghanistan is playing 2 matches in Chennai against New Zealand and Pakistan. So, we all know the pitch of Chennai is a bit slow and spin friendly. We might see the deadliest spin attack [ Rashid - Nabi - Mujeeb - Noor ].
