Rashid Khan emphasizes the importance of self-belief as Afghanistan prepares for the T20 World Cup 2024, building on its strong performance in the ODI World Cup.
“Even if it is flat wickets, the kind of bowling unit we have, we don’t rely much on the wicket. We have a fair few mystery spinners who make it harder for the batter to score freely,” Rashid said.
Rashid Khan will lead Afghanistan for the first time in a T20 World Cup, marking his fourth appearance in the tournament and the seventh for Afghanistan. The team is in Group C, dubbed the Group of Death, alongside West Indies, New Zealand, Uganda, and Papua New Guinea. Only two teams from each group advance to the Super Eight stage, making Afghanistan’s path challenging with strong teams like West Indies and New Zealand in their group.
However, Rashid is confident, believing that the pitches will favor their mystery spinners. The all-rounder stressed that Afghanistan’s bowlers are capable of excelling even on flat wickets due to their unique skills.
“The confidence (to progress to the Super Eight stage) is there because we have already beaten West Indies a few times in T20s. We beat them in ODIs as well. And, more importantly, there are seven to eight guys playing in the IPL, which is the best preparation ahead of the World Cup. And the conditions in the World Cup may be good for the spinners – at least, that is my expectation. Even if it is flat wickets, the kind of bowling unit we have, we don’t rely much on the wicket. We have a fair few mystery spinners who make it harder for the batter to score freely,” Rashid told ESPNcricinfo.
Afghanistan are likely to give a tough fight
He also highlighted their experience in different leagues, such as the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), where they have adapted well to various conditions.
“I have also bowled a lot in the CPL. [Mohammad] Nabi, Mujeeb [Ur Rahman] and Noor [Ahmad], too, have bowled on the wickets in the Caribbean and we have all found enough spin and are well-versed with the conditions. So we have that advantage,” he added.
Afghanistan’s performance in the ODI World Cup 2023, where they defeated England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands to finish sixth, has boosted their confidence. Rashid believes in their ability to compete with any team and urges his squad to maintain that belief.
“But the most important thing is: how we are going there mentally. Do we have that kind of belief where we can beat New Zealand? Do we have that kind of belief where we can beat West Indies? As soon as that belief comes, you can beat any side. That’s the kind of belief we had in the ODI World Cup last year in India. Since we beat England, we said we can beat any side,” Rashid stated.
Afghanistan will begin their T20 World Cup campaign on Tuesday, June 4, against debutants Uganda at the Providence Stadium in Guyana.
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