Afghanistan Secure Semi-Final Berth in Remarkable Journey
Afghanistan’s qualification for the semi-finals of the ongoing tournament is another significant milestone in their remarkable cricketing journey. Having first qualified for a T20 World Cup in 2010, the team has steadily established itself as a regular in the finals of various tournaments, despite exiting before the knockout rounds in their nine previous World Cup campaigns across both T20s and ODIs.
In this year’s competition, Afghanistan progressed from the first group stage, securing the runners-up spot in Group C. Although they suffered heavy defeats against West Indies and India in the Super 8s, they roared back to stun the previously unbeaten Australia, putting themselves in a strong position for semi-final qualification.
“Much of Afghanistan’s success in this tournament has been built on the prolific run-scoring of their opening duo, Gurbaz and Zadran.”
However, the pair faced a tough challenge against Bangladesh, with Gurbaz scoring 43 off 56 balls and the team just managing to cross the 100-run mark in the penultimate over.
Bangladesh’s chase was hampered by early setbacks, falling to 23-3 within the first three overs. Despite the persistent rain showers, they continued to edge towards their target, provoking irritated reactions from Afghanistan’s coach, Jonathan Trott, who has been with the team since 2022.
Trott’s trust in his team’s quality bowling attack ultimately paid off, as Afghanistan secured another chapter in their storied cricketing journey. The progress to the semi-finals was celebrated by the public in Afghanistan, a country where the team has never played a full men’s international on home soil due to the ongoing security situation.
Afghanistan’s fixtures are instead held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), where a number of their players are based. Trott himself has never visited Afghanistan, where the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021 saw the disbandment of the women’s national team, with many players forced into hiding and some international sides boycotting matches against the men’s team.
Despite the challenges, the Afghanistan Cricket Board continues to work with the International Cricket Council to develop cricket and playing opportunities for both men and women in the country.
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