If Afghanistan were not on your list of favourite teams in the ongoing World Cup 2023, then you might need to rethink. Unlike their previous campaign in England, when they lost all games in the 2019 edition of the tournament, the Atalans have registered three wins so far in the tournament and have kept their semi-final chances alive. They stunned defending champions England in Delhi before trumping Pakistan and mauling Sri Lanka to have six points in their kitty. With three more games to go, the Afghans will definitely push their limits to win all of them and remain valid in the race for a top-four finish.
After Afghanistan’s convincing win over Sri Lanka on Monday, the ICC shared a video of the Afghan team huddle in which Rashid Khan could be seen giving a motivational pep talk to his teammates. It was before the contest when the star leg-spinner boosted his team’s morale, asking them to fight every ball and give their 100 per cent on the field.
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“Remember these three things. Firstly, every ball we fight, if it’s our batting, if it’s our bowling or if it’s our fielding. Our only focus should be to fight it out with the other team. Don’t think about the outcome or whether we will win or not focus on the finer details instead and these finer details will paint the bigger picture. Fight for every ball,” Rashid Khan said.
“Even if I come out to bowl later on no matter how wet the ball is I will put in my 100% effort for the team because if I think that the ball is too wet. I won’t be able to bowl well and automatically, I will concede runs because mentally, I would probably give up. So whether we ball first or second in every moment we will trust ourselves and will put in 100% effort. Thousands pray for us and watch our matches only to see Afghanistan win and triumph because cricket is the only thing that brings joy and happiness in Afghanistan.”
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“So as a team we shouldn’t take the pressure, we only focus on the effort. Everyone wants to see that effort not just the result but a real honest effort. So as a team, we will get in and put in the effort and we also make sure of the biggest thing that we keep smiling Go on boys,” he added.
Enjoying their best-ever performance, Afghanistan have been on a giant-killing run in the ongoing 50-over showpiece with comprehensive wins over defending champions England, rivals Pakistan and 1996 winners Sri Lanka, proving that they can no longer be termed as minnows.
“Nobody has got a hundred so far yet, so that’s the next challenge. Someone accepts responsibility and batting for a longer period of time and make sure we get a hundred,” Trott said at the press conference after Afghanistan’s seven-wicket win over Sri Lanka on Monday.
“You see, a lot of hundreds are scored in the tournament. That’s the next frontier, the next barrier. Gurbaz has scored a few hundreds recently, you know Ibrahim has.
“The middle order is in form, 3-4-5-6, as well. That’s the next challenge and I have got no doubt that the players will be able to (get a hundred) in the future. Hopefully, it starts with the next game,” Trott added.
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