The Afghanistan cricket team is certainly turning heads with their superb performances in the international cricket and recently they defeated England in the Champions Trophy, knocking the English team out of the tournament.
The former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja praised Afghanistan for its remarkable progress in international cricket, particularly in the ICC events, while responding to the former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis.
He pointed out that Afghanistan has secured more victories than Pakistan in the last three ICC tournaments, dismissing any notion that their success is a mere fluke. Their head coach, Jonathan Trott, reinforced this sentiment after Afghanistan’s triumph over England, stating that teams could no longer afford to underestimate them.
During a special Champions Trophy show, Waqar Younis sought Wasim Akram’s opinion on whether Afghanistan had a real chance against Australia in their upcoming match in Lahore. Wasim Akram expressed confidence in Afghanistan’s potential, acknowledging their impressive performance against England, where they successfully defended 320 runs under challenging conditions. He noted that while Australia could dominate, Afghanistan had the capability to defeat any team if they played their best cricket.
Ajay Jadeja took the opportunity to remind everyone of Afghanistan’s recent achievements, highlighting their ten victories across the last three ICC events, including their historic semi-final appearance in the previous T20 World Cup. Their ability to defeat Australia and eliminate them from that tournament was a significant milestone. In the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, they came close to securing a semi-final berth, finishing with four wins in nine matches.
In contrast, Pakistan has struggled in the ICC events, failing to progress beyond the group stages and managing only six wins across three tournaments. Their disappointing run continued in the ongoing Champions Trophy, where they made an exit without securing a single victory.
Wasim Akram lauded Afghanistan’s fighting spirit, noting that their players display immense determination every time they step onto the field. He praised their commitment to winning, whether in batting or fielding, and their unwavering hunger to perform against top teams.
Ajay Jadeja, who worked with Afghanistan as a consultant during the 2023 ODI World Cup, attributed their success to self-belief. He observed that the team now trusts its ability to overcome any challenge, and their consistent performances in high pressure matches reflect this newfound confidence.
Afghanistan will need to defeat Australia in the match which is being played currently at Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore. A victory will see them advance to the semi-finals in their first ever Champions Trophy campaign, while a defeat could mark the end of their journey in the tournament.
