‘Not what you expect from Afghanistan’ – Rashid Khan

Afghanistan, No.10 in the MRF Tyres ICC Men’s ODI Team Rankings and one of the favourites to finish in the top two at the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier 2018, are on the verge of crashing out of the tournament after losing all their three matches so far.

It started with a seven-wicket loss to Scotland, then a narrow two-run defeat in a low-scoring game against Zimbabwe, and finally, on Thursday, Hong Kong beat Afghanistan by 30 runs (DLS method). The team has been without Asghar Stanikzai, the regular captain who had to undergo an appendicitis operation, and also lost senior pro Mohammad Shahzad for the Hong Kong game and the next one, with Nepal, when he was suspended for banging his bat into one of the pitches in frustration after his dismissal against Zimbabwe.

Rashid Khan, leading Afghanistan in the tournament, was at a loss to explain the downturn in his team’s fortunes.

“Before the tournament, we lost the skipper, and now we lost an aggressive batsman in Shahzad. Things just aren’t going our way,” said the star leg-spinner, who has had a lean run by his usual lofty standards, picking up four wickets so far including three against Zimbabwe.

“You can't expect such a performance from Afghanistan, the way we have played in the last two years. The guys played some irresponsible cricket, which wasn't expected from them. But it happens sometimes in cricket. Sometimes it doesn't go your way. Sometimes a match doesn't go your way. Sometimes a tournament doesn't go your way.”

Speaking specifically about the Hong Kong game, Rashid said it came down to the Afghans not being able to control their nerves. Chasing 242, Afghanistan were 73/4 when Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran added 59 for the fifth wicket. Things went pear-shaped after that.

“I think we were in the game until Nabi and Najibullah got out,” said Rashid. “But after losing Nabi, the rain came, and the match started to get away from us.

“The wicket was good for batting in the morning, but it got difficult later on. We weren't expecting the clouds. It was bad luck for us. It suddenly came in, and totally changed the game. But we didn't bat well. When the pressure was on, we couldn't control our nerves, and that caused us to lose the match.”

As things stand in Group B, Scotland (6 points from 3 games) and Zimbabwe (4 points from 2 games) are ahead of the pack, while the win over Afghanistan has given Hong Kong a chance. To get in among the top three and qualify for the Super Sixes, Rashid’s team must not only beat Nepal in their final game but also hope for Zimbabwe and Nepal to beat Hong Kong. That will put all three of Afghanistan, Nepal and Hong Kong on two points, with net run rate deciding who goes through.

“It's really touch and go,” agreed Rashid. “If we can gain something in the Nepal game, and then something happens between Hong Kong and Nepal, anything can happen. But the way we played in the last three games, it's not what you expect from Afghanistan.”