Apart from being an all-important fixture for both sides, a tinge of rivalry will be added to the equation when Afghanistan takes on Pakistan in the ODI World Cup at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Monday.
The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side operates around its spin bowlers and the pitch in Chepauk is known to assist the tweakers. With the tried-and-tested Rashid Khan working in tandem with Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi, the Afghans have all the ingredients to produce yet another upset this World Cup.
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But Afghanistan’s coach Jonathan Trott believes cricket is a collective effort and his side is much more than just its spinners.
“The thing is - with spinners, only two or three are playing a game. And it’s the other eight as well that have to play the game so that’s important. It’s everybody’s job and not just the spinners’ job to win games,” said Trott ahead of the match against Pakistan.
“There are batsmen who’ve got to put runs on the board or batsmen who’ve got to chase down a total. So yes, the spinners are important and getting our selection is key for the fixture but it’s a team effort,” he added.
Catch the full press conference here:
Afghanistan opened its World Cup campaign with two massive losses against Bangladesh and India but found its mojo against England to produce a 69-run upset, registering its second-ever win in the quadrennial showpiece.
However, the ninth-ranked ODI side was rattled by New Zealand in its most recent fixture in the very venue where it will face Pakistan next, conceding the game by a whopping 149 runs. Failing to read the nature of the pitch and five dropped catches cost Afghanistan big time.
Reflecting his side’s most recent failure, Trott said: “Obviously dropped catches don’t help, especially when you win the toss and bowl first. You want to put the opposition under pressure. We had an opportunity to do that with New Zealand, and we had them, I think it was about 115 for four as well at one stage.”
Afghanistan player Rashid Khan and Noor Ahmad during a practice session ahead of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match between Afghanistan and Pakistan at M.A. Chidambaram Stadium. | Photo Credit: JOTHI RAMALINGAM B/ The Hindu
“You know, we let them get away. So, there are things you’d like to do differently, there are things you could do better, and we’ll be looking tomorrow to do that,” he added.
Pakistan, on the other hand, has also hit a rough patch as the side suffered two consecutive demoralising losses against India and England. But Trott emphasises that recent form will have minimal impact on the game in hand.
“We always look to put the opposition under pressure straight away so we’ll be looking to do that tomorrow. I think when we play Pakistan, form doesn’t come into the game. There are a lot of other things that come into the game with regard to the rivalry and the passion.”
“So, we know the Pakistan team will be very determined to win tomorrow and certainly want to sort of snap that losing streak of the two games. But again, we want to win just as much as they do, so that should be good,” said the 42-year-old.
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