Can Afghanistan do a Sri Lanka?
Afghanistan cricket has taken rapid strides in international cricket. They are now a real force to be reckoned with. Yesterday's match against Pakistan was just an illustration of their ever-improving cricketing standards.
Their team has been excellent in the ongoing Asia Cup so far. They have beaten Sri Lanka and Bangladesh comprehensively and had almost grabbed the glory from Pakistan if not for Shoaib Malik's valiant effort.
The decline of some cricketing nations like Sri Lanka and West Indies is having an ill effect on international cricket. But if some of the smaller countries like Afghanistan can rise and fill their gaps, it will help cricket grow and sustain itself.
Afghanistan can take a cue from Sri Lanka's journey in international cricket. Sri Lanka played their first international match against West Indies as an associate nation in the 1975 World Cup. Though they lost the match comprehensively, they didn't lose hope.
After getting Test status in 1981, they waited for 4 long years to register their first Test victory against India, and everything went uphill for them from there on.
They later won the World Cup in 1996 and became the joint winners of Champions trophy in 2002. By early 2000s, Sri Lanka had become a cricketing powerhouse. Apart from being the 2012 T20 World Cup winners, they have been the 5 times Asia Cup champions. Also, the Islanders have been the runners-up in the finals of World Cup 2007 and 2011.
Even some of the big Test playing nations have not been able to achieve so much. Afghanistan was rewarded with Test status earlier this year. They have a brilliant team with immense talent and desire to succeed. Afghanistan got ODI status in 2009 and straight away they won 2 out of their first 3 ODIs that year.
Since 2009, Afghanistan has played 104 ODI matches winning 55 out of them with a win percentage of 52.88%. Their most recent achievement came in Zimbabwe, where they won the ICC World Cup Qualifiers.
Rashid Khan is one of the talents from Afghanistan who has stunned the world with his leg spin magic in limited overs cricket. He is definitely world's No.1 spinner in the shorter format. Apart from Rashid, there are many others who possess an immense talent. The likes of Mujeeb-ur-Rahman and Mohammad Nabi are quality cricketers too.
The trio of Rashid, Mujeeb and Nabi are hailed by many as the best spin attack in the world. There are a lot of encouraging signs for Afghanistan. All they need is an opportunity to learn and develop.
Simon Doull suggested in a cricket show that every team travelling India must play one or two matches with Afghanistan before commencing their tour. As of now, Dehradun is the home ground for Afghanistan cricket team. This would help them develop their game against top tier teams.
If world cricket is inclusive enough, then it is hard to stop Afghanistan from becoming a strong cricketing nation. It will not just help Afghanistan cricket, it will boost the confidence of all the associate nations to do well and follow their path.
They are still competing in Asia Cup, and with the kind of cricket they are playing, history might be on the cards. But whatever happens, Afghanistan cricket is on a rapid rise and international cricket should celebrate this.
Good things take time. A few years down the line, we might find Afghanistan cricket team giving tough competitions to the top teams around the world. The ICC should just give them ample opportunities to grow as a team.
If Sri Lanka can rise to the zenith of cricket, Afghanistan are not too far behind.