In New Delhi, famous South African cricketer Dale Steyn believes that the growing Afghanistan cricket team has a chance to win an important tournament in the next ten years. Steyn thinks this can happen if Afghan players learn to stay calm and take their time during the game.
The Afghanistan team has come a long way from struggling due to war and issues in their country. Now, they are a strong team in white-ball formats like One Day Internationals (ODIs) and Twenty20s (T20s). They almost made it to the playoffs in the 2023 ODI World Cup, pulling off impressive wins against big teams like England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Last year, they reached the semifinals in the T20 World Cup, beating Australia.
Steyn pointed out that many players today want quick results, hoping every ball will get them a wicket, just like they want instant gratification on social media. He said, “One of the biggest things Afghanistan players need to learn is patience. If they can get that right, they could absolutely win ICC tournaments in the next ten years.”
He suggested that playing longer games, like four-day matches, could help Afghan players learn to build their innings better. Steyn said, “In the past, players would join county cricket or play first-class cricket to improve their skills. While T20 cricket is great, spending time in longer games could really help them with their overall game.”
Afghanistan has been trying to reach the semifinals in the Champions Trophy this year. They are competing with Australia and South Africa after a great win against England. Unfortunately, their loss to South Africa hurt their hopes. Their match against Australia got washed out, leaving them with a slight chance to qualify if England beats South Africa by a large margin.
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