Afghanistan Aims High With Batting Strategy For T20 World Cup 2024, Says Rashid Khan

Georgetown (Guyana), Jun 3 (PTI): Afghanistan's cricket team has evolved significantly, with their batters now displaying the skills and confidence needed to chase down substantial totals. Captain Rashid Khan highlighted this development on Monday (June 3), ahead of their T20 World Cup opener against Uganda.

Traditionally reliant on their world-class spinners, Afghanistan's batting line-up has been strengthened by the emergence of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, and Azmatullah Omarzai. "That is something in the past. We were struggling a little bit in the batting area. Earlier, the bowlers would do a lot more and help us win the games," Rashid said.

Rashid credited the Under-19 players for their hard work and rapid progression to the national side. "Later on, we got those youngsters especially from Under-19 the way they came up to the national side, the way they have worked hard and got the opportunity to play for Afghanistan at a very young age, and then start exploring all around the world (while) playing the leagues, where they got better and better," he added.

With a blend of talent, skills, and the right mindset, Rashid believes anything is achievable. "We have that kind of batting line-up where we can say, 'it's fine if there is 200 as well on the wicket'," he said. "We have that kind of ability, skills and talent where we can express (all) that on the ground and chase. T20 cricket is all about the mindset."

Afghanistan's best-ever performance at the ODI World Cup in India last year saw them defeat former champions Pakistan, England, and Sri Lanka while running close eventual champions Australia. Rashid emphasized focusing on one game at a time to avoid extra pressure.

With slow pitches anticipated in the West Indies, many predict Afghanistan will reach the semifinals due to their high-class spinners. Rashid expressed delight that Afghanistan is no longer considered underdogs. "They have mentioned Afghanistan is going to be there for semis. We take that as a very positive sign," he said.

Rashid noted that several Afghan players have experience in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), which could be advantageous. However, he cautioned against making assumptions about pitch behaviour in ICC events. "You never know what's going to be the behaviour of the wicket. You have to react to that," he stated.

Afghanistan's preparation and adaptability will be crucial as they aim to make a significant impact in this year's T20 World Cup. The team's growth in both batting and bowling departments positions them well for future successes.