Afghanistan’s remarkable run in the 2024 T20 World Cup came to an abrupt halt with a nine-wicket loss to South Africa in the semi-final stage, bowled out for a paltry 56 runs at the Brian Lara Stadium in Trinidad. Despite their impressive performance, Afghanistan’s demise can be attributed to their inability to adapt to different conditions and their fragile middle order. Led by Rashid Khan, the team’s rely on exceptional cricket throughout the tournament, including notable victories over Australia and New Zealand, has left a lasting impression. However, their inability to overcome the semi-final hurdle highlights the need for more improvement.
Afghanistan cannot rely solely on their opening duo, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, to bail them out every time. The middle order has to take on a more significant role, and new players need to be given a chance to prove themselves.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Via Rahmanullah Gurbaz/Twitter)
The existing candidates struggling to step up and fill the void, leaving the team looking disjointed when the openers fail to deliver. Afghanistan’s inability to perform under pressure is another area of concern, they have shown glimpses of brilliance against weaker opponents but tend to falter when the stakes are high. They need to develop mental toughness and the ability to remain calm and composed in critical situations. Consistent performances in big events will help them overcome this issue.
Afghanistan’s success has been largely dependent on the conditions they’ve faced. They have thrived on slow and sluggish pitches, but struggled when faced with more batsman-friendly and seam-friendly tracks. To become a consistent heavyweight, they need to develop players who can adapt to different surfaces and conditions. This will require an increase in squad depth and a focus on developing all-around cricketers. Afghanistan’s exit from the 2024 T20 World Cup may have been disappointing, but it highlights the need for improvement. They have made significant progress, but there is still a lot of work to be done to become a genuine heavyweight in international cricket.
