Afghanistan’s inspiring journey in the ongoing T20 World Cup came to an end at the hands of South Africa, which is now eyeing its first World Cup title overcoming its semifinal hoodoo on a tough Trinidad pitch.
Afghanistan made history by reaching the semifinals for the first time, defeating Bangladesh by eight runs in a thrilling, low-scoring match in St Vincent. This victory saw it advance as runner-up from Super 8s Group 1, eliminating Bangladesh and Australia from the tournament.
It is a seminal moment for Afghanistan, which first qualified for a T20 World Cup in 2010. After years of competing in qualifying events, it has finally become a regular in tournament finals but had never reached the knockout rounds in its nine previous World Cup campaigns across both white-ball formats.
Opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz has emerged as a key batting figure at the top of the order. His maturity during the victories against Australia and Bangladesh in St. Vincent demonstrated his adaptability. | Photo Credit: RICARDO MAZALAN/AP
Due to security concerns, Afghanistan has never hosted a full men’s international match at home. Instead, its games are held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and it has set up a training base in India. In fact, coach Jonathan Trott has never visited Afghanistan, a country where the Taliban returned to power in August 2021 after the withdrawal of US and international forces.
Despite these challenges, Afghanistan’s progress to the semifinals highlights its remarkable resilience and journey. In the moment of its greatest triumph, Rashid Khan’s men have become the focal point of cricket’s pursuit to become a truly global sport.
It hasn’t been roses all the way though. There has been resistance from within the cricketing community. Take for example Cricket Australia’s refusal to play bilateral cricket with Afghanistan after the Taliban’s return saw Afghanistan’s women’s national team disbanded. However, Australia continues to engage the Afghanistan men’s team in world tournaments while some of its leading players, headlined by Rashid himself, continue to ply their trade in the Big Bash League, Australia’s T20 competition.
In fact, Rashid was asked if beating Australia at the T20 World Cup in St Vincent gave him extra satisfaction. “Well, we are sportsmen, and we love sports,” Rashid said at the post-match press conference. “People back home love sports. Cricket is the only source of happiness back home. That’s the only source left in Afghanistan where people could celebrate. And if we keep that source away from us, I don’t know where Afghanistan will remain.
“If we play in the World Cup, why don’t we play in bilateral series? I think we’re happy to play against the best side. We learn from them. We get better day by day. But that’s the only thing I can say.”
As for the optics, well, the optics are frankly bizarre for Cricket Australia and have been criticised from within the Aussie cricket fraternity, notably by Aussie Test opener Usman Khawaja. “I personally think, yes, we should be playing Afghanistan,” he said. “I am sympathetic to both sides of the puzzle. I totally respect and agree with a lot of aspects of the stance Cricket Australia has in terms of women’s cricket in Afghanistan, but there’s also another side to it, of promoting and growing the game.
“It’s a little bit hypocritical too if we say, no, we’re not going to play Afghanistan, but then allowing Afghanistan cricketers to play in the BBL,” Khawaja said. “They 100 per cent should [play], but then how do you do one and not the other?
“We’re benefiting in the BBL from having Afghanistani players, but we’re giving no benefits back by playing them. So how can we benefit from Afghanistani cricketers in the BBL but then say we’re not going to play against you in a bilateral series?”
Afghanistan’s achievements on the cricket field over the past 12 months have elevated its story beyond a mere feel-good narrative. The roots of this progress can be traced back to the ODI World Cup in India last year. Although Afghanistan exited before the knockout stages, they secured a spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy. Key players such as Azmatullah Omarzai, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Alikhil, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman—members of the Afghanistan Under-19 team that reached the semifinals of the 2018 age-group World Cup—have been instrumental in this journey. Having a steady pipeline of skilled talent has significantly benefited the team and its performance.
Afghanistan’s Fazalhaq Farooqi in action against West Indies. | Photo Credit: TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP
This year, Fazalhaq Farooqi’s ability to swing the ball both ways in the PowerPlay has been a standout feature. Gurbaz has emerged as a key batting figure at the top of the order. His maturity during the victories against Australia and Bangladesh in St. Vincent demonstrated his adaptability. On a slow and turning wicket, Gurbaz adopted a risk-averse approach, recognizing the potential fragility of the middle order under pressure. His 44-ball fifty against Australia, the slowest of his T20 career, underscores this point. The team demonstrated that it was neither intimidated by the occasion nor by its opponent, unlike during the ODI World Cup last year. When Australia was struggling at 91-7, Glenn Maxwell mounted a remarkable comeback, scoring an unbeaten 201 despite battling cramps, denying Afghanistan a dream victory. This time, however, the Afghans were not to be denied.
In the must-win game against Bangladesh, Gurbaz batted for 55 deliveries, scoring 43 at a strike rate of under 80. Aware of Bangladesh’s batting struggles and the pitch’s low-scoring nature, Gurbaz and Afghanistan recalibrated their strategy, setting realistic targets. This measured approach ultimately proved to be a winning strategy.
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In the semifinal against South Africa, the early dismissal of Rahmanullah Gurbaz triggered a collapse, with wickets falling like a pack of cards. While the conservative approach adopted by Gurbaz and the Afghan top-order worked well under suitable conditions, it exposed the vulnerabilities of the middle order when faced with pressure. The middle order’s lack of runs became apparent during this meltdown. Strengthening the batting lineup, particularly between positions 4 and 7, should be a top priority for coach Jonathan Trott and the management.
None of these are fatal flaws. They are the kind of problems the vast majority have, to varying degrees. But Afghanistan has shown that it has developed the wherewithal to correct, refine and improve. For the next few days, and the rest of this year, perhaps all we can do is hope that after yet another strong outing in a global event, the powers to be see that there are plenty of reasons to believe that Afghanistan cricket is too good and too valuable, and hope that tomorrow has something better to offer.
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