Published: Feb 06, 2015, 03:08 PM (IST)
Edited: Feb 06, 2015, 05:49 PM (IST)
After missing out in 2011, Afghanistan are ready for their debut on the big stage. The ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 is a huge opportunity for Afghanistan, who have shown great competitive spirit over the years. Rishad D’Souza writes that Afghanistan will not be mere pushovers but can present a could challenge to the bigger teams on their day.
Strengths: Afghanistan are a team with a good blend of experience and youth. Having missed out on qualification for the 2011 tournament, Afghanistan are eager to make a mark in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. The desire to make a strong statement will keep their fire for success burning. Afghanistan have players who have overcome great odds to get here and their mental strength is one of their biggest assets. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
Afghanistan are blessed with an enviable bowling attack. Shapoor Zadran and Dawlat Zadran, who lead the bowling attack, are capable of destructive spells of fast bowling. Skipper Mohammad Nabi takes charge in the spin bowling department. He revels in turning the pressure on by choking the run flow and consequently picks wickets. Nawroz Mangal is one of the more experienced batsmen in the top order. Apart from him, Javed Ahmadi at the top of the order has shown an immense promise. Samiullah Shenwari can be one batsman who can force the pace. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
Weaknesses: The pressure to make a mark on the big stage will be something new for Afghanistan. They have featured in a few World T20s and an Asia Cup. However, the World Cup is the biggest of them all and would be a different cup of tea. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
While Afghanistan’s bowling unit has delivered a lot of promise, their batting has been an area of major worry. The openers, Usman Ghani and Ahmadi are capable of setting up decent platforms upfront only to be blown apart by deplorable shot selection and immature approach lower down the order. Afghanistan will hope that Shenwari and Nabi play to the best of their ability in order to pose a threat.
Key players: Shapoor cuts an intimidating figure on the field with his height and stature. He can deliver bowls at about 140-142 kph with accuracy and also gets a bit of movement. These qualities make him a potent weapon. His namesake, Dawlat, is almost as good and boasts an impressive average himself. In the absence of Shapoor, he has led the charge sublimely and has an impressive strike rate.
Afghanistan will be heavily reliant on their captain Nabi. Not only is he capable of bowling with nagging accuracy, but also adds to the batting lower down the order. He has not been in the best of form with the bat, but the glory of the occasion may just spur him on.
Afghanistan Squad: Mohammad Nabi (c), Nawroz Mangal, Asghar Stanikzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Afsar Zazai (wk), Najibullah Zadran, Nasir Jamal, Mirwais Ashraf, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Shapoor Zadran, Dawlat Zadran, Aftab Alam, Javed Ahmadi, Usman Ghani.
(Rishad D’Souza, a reporter with CricketCountry, gave up hopes of playing Test cricket after a poor gully-cricket career. He now reports on the sport. You can follow @RishadDsouza on Twitter)
