Semi-final predictions no concern as Rashid looks for Afghanistan to deliver
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan intends to take it one game at a time in Afghanistan’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 campaign.
Given their arsenal of high-class spin bowlers and the improvement in Afghanistan's batting in recent years, many have touted the Asian side as one of the teams capable of making it to the semi-finals of this year’s T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan while appreciative of these predictions, wanted to focus on the cricketing action. Rashid said it was a big honour for a side, which not long back had to give their best to qualify for the ICC events, but were now seen as one of the favourites to make the semi-finals.
“They have mentioned Afghanistan is going to be there for semis,” Rashid said. “We take that as a very positive sign. Before, it used to be (that) Afghanistan even contribution was hard for us to get qualified.
“And now to be (in the) nomination, to be there in the top four, I think it's big for us.”
Rashid looked back at his side’s ICC Men's Cricket World Cup campaign in India last year, and sought to take inspiration from their golden run in the tournament. He said that the players now believed that nothing was impossible for them as a side.
In last year’s tournament, the Asian side defeated the likes of Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England, and ran eventual champions Australia close.
“But for us, we don't look to those things a lot. It's all about how we're going to be there in the ground, delivering. We were very near in the last World Cup as well to be in the semis.
Afghanistan had England on the ropes early in the defending champions' second innings chase at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023
“We were just one game away from being in the semis and that's where I feel like the belief started that nothing is impossible and for us as a team. So yeah, looking forward we are really excited about this World Cup. We take one game at a time and then see how it goes.”
Rashid was confident of Afghanistan’s groundwork prior to the tournament. While Rashid and a select few featured in the IPL, the remaining Afghanistan players were involved in the domestic Qosh Tepa National T20 Cup in May.
“I think preparation has been great so far. The way the guys have been prepared, and they had that preparation back home in Afghanistan," he said.
Match highlights as Afghanistan clinched their first-ever ODI win over Pakistan and their second at the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023
“A couple of weeks back, we had a domestic T20 competition, which really helped them to get that kind of preparation they need as a player and as a team. And then we're here two weeks earlier as well. So, we got that full preparation, what we wanted as a team.
“We're just about focusing on one game at a time and making sure we do the right things and take the right decisions at the right time. That's something I think is going to help us. “And don't think about the next round a lot. That's something which is an extra pressure I feel like to be as a player.”
Afghanistan begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Uganda in Guyana. Both sides are in Group C of the competition along with West Indies, New Zealand and PNG.