5 reasons why Afghanistan deserve Test status
On June 22, the ICC included Ireland and Afghanistan in the elite club of full members, making them the 11th and 12th Test playing nations. This development is regarded as ICC’s acknowledgement of the two sides’ meteoric rise in international cricket.
While other Associate nations like Canada, Kenya, Namibia, and Scotland are struggling to maintain in one-day cricket, Afghanistan, since 2015, have impressed the cricketing world with their staggering development.
The Asian nation received ODI status in 2009 and it took them only eight years to become a full member. How exactly did this war-prone and financially troubled nation achieve this enormous feat?
Also read: A look back at Afghanistan’s meteoric rise in World Cricket
Here we look at five aspects that have led to Afghanistan’s inspirational rise and why they deserve Test status.
#5 Roaring success in Intercontinental Cup
The Intercontinental Cup, ICC’s multiday competition for Associate Members, is conducted to test whether the teams participating are ready to face the challenges of Test cricket.
Afghanistan first featured in this tournament in 2009/10 and in their debut year, they ended Ireland’s three-year winning streak. Since then, there has been no looking back for this team and in the 2011-13 edition of the tournament, they once again reached the finals.
In the current competition, Afghanistan are placed at the top of the points table, reflecting their dominance.
Their performances in the Intercontinental Cup clearly show that Afghanistan are the best Associate nation and the gap between them and the others is only widening.