12 Days to World Cup 2015
Afghanistan : Team Analysis
Afghanistan are looking for a spot in the knock-out stage of the 2015 cricket World Cup. If someone had predicted this around fifteen years ago, people would have probably sent him or her to a psychiatrist.
Yes, their rise has been that startling. The World Cup is not the destination for them, it is merely a part of their journey- an important one, by the way.
Afghanistan’s cricket team has improved in leaps and bounds in the last five years. They have played in more than one World T20 and didn’t embarrass themselves at the world stage. They have since then beaten Bangladesh in the Asia Cup and have played well in patches against the powerhouses of Asian cricket.
They have risen like a phoenix from the ashes and they will want to keep flying high during the upcoming mega event down under.
The team is packed with exciting batsmen. Nawroz Mangal not only idolises MS Dhoni but also plays in a manner the Indian captain used to play when he first took the cricket world by storm.
Mangal’s partner in the top of the order is a teenager named Usman Ghani. He scores quickly and has been in fine form. He scored runs aplenty in his team’s tour down under in 2014.
Samiullah Shenwari, Asghar Stanikzai and Mohammad Nabi provide stability to the batting line up. They can all play according to the situation and are the men the Afghans expect to rescue their team in case of poor starts.
Shapoor Zadran is a slippery customer who on occasions have hurried the batsman into their strokes. He can keep things tight at the start of the innings during the power plays.
Hamid Hassan can be a nightmare for the batsmen, provided he remains fit. Hamid had his issues with fitness and all of Afghanistan would pray for Hamid’s good health during the World Cup.
Afghanistan should beat the Scots and their match against Bangladesh should be a close affair. They will find it very tough against the other teams but, knowing England’s record in the recent World Cups, one never know- they might well compete really well against the Englishmen.
The world of cricket needs Afghanistan to play well in the World Cup. They must compete against all the Test playing nations they are scheduled to play against. We don’t want another Kenya who showed so much promise in 2003 and then delivered so little in the next decade. The Afghanistan cricket team’s fairytale must continue…
Squad : Mohammad Nabi (captain), Afsar Zazai (wk), Aftab Alam, Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Javed Ahmadi, Mirwais Ashraf, Najibullah Zadran, Nasir Jamal, Nawroz Mangal, Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran, Usman Ghani, Izatullah Dawlatzai (standby player), Hasmatullah Shaidi (standby player), Shafiqullah (standby player), Sharafuddin Ashraf (standby player)
Batting and bowling potential charts indicate the percentage contribution of each player in the team.
Key Batsmen : Nawroz Mangal, Mohammad Nabi, Usman Ghani
Key Bowlers : Hamid Hassan, Samiullah Shenwari, Aftab Alam
Big Hitters : Najibullah Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Javed Ahmadi
Most Experienced Player : Mohammad Nabi
Darkhorse : Nasir Jamal
Team Average Age : 25 years
Oldest Player : Nawroz Mangal (30 years)
Youngest Player : Usman Ghani (18 years)
Afghanistan will be playing two warm-up games against India and U.A.E. at Adelaide and Melbourne on 10th Feb and 13th Feb respectively.
Fixtures for Afghanistan in World Cup 2015 :
| Date & Time |
Match Details |
Coverage |
| |
Wed Feb 18 (D/N)
03:30 GMT | 14:30 local
09:00 IST |
7th Match, Pool A - Afghanistan v Bangladesh
Manuka Oval, Canberra |
  |
| |
Sun Feb 22
22:00 GMT (prev day)
11:00 local | 03:30 IST |
12th Match, Pool A - Afghanistan v Sri Lanka
University Oval, Dunedin |
|
| |
Thu Feb 26
22:00 GMT (prev day)
11:00 local | 03:30 IST |
17th Match, Pool A - Afghanistan v Scotland
University Oval, Dunedin |
|
| |
Wed Mar 4 (D/N)
06:30 GMT | 14:30 local
12:00 IST |
26th Match, Pool A - Australia v Afghanistan
Western Australia Cricket Association Ground, Perth |
|
| |
Sun Mar 8
22:00 GMT (prev day)
11:00 local | 03:30 IST |
31st Match, Pool A - New Zealand v Afghanistan
McLean Park, Napier |
|
| |
Fri Mar 13 (D/N)
03:30 GMT | 14:30 local
09:00 IST |
38th Match, Pool A - Afghanistan v England
Sydney Cricket Ground |
|