DHAKA, Sept 13, 2019 (BSS)-Red-hot favourite Afghanistan will start its
Tri-nation T20 mission on Saturday by taking on Zimbabwe at the Sher-e-Bangla
National Cricket Stadium.
Rashid Khan-led Afghanistan is the top-ranked T20 side in the
tournament, staying at 7th in the ICC rankings. Bangladesh are 10th ranked
side while Zimbabwe are in 14th place in ICC rankings.
But not the rankings what matters, Afghanistan indeed have the upper-
hand over their two opponents-Bangladesh and Zimbabwe-in the tournament.
They have played against Bangladesh four times and won three matches
while they won all the seven matches against Zimbabwe they played in this
format.
Therefore the stats itself suggested that the Afghanistan starts the
tournament as favourite.
Moreover they are high on confidence following their 224-run win against
Bangladesh in the one-off Test match. It was somewhat unexpected that they
would beat Bangladesh in longer version format in which they came up with the
experience of just two Test matches.
However they were impressive throughout the match and the way they won
the Test, no one would dare to say that it was upset. They dominated
Bangladesh thoroughly in five days of Test to win it like a hot favourite
side.
Captain Rashid Khan who made his Test debut as captain made a winning
start. And he certainly wants to make a winning start to T20 cricket as
captain also.
Afghanistan’s T20 side however is completely different to what they used
in the Test format against Bangladesh. Only three players -captain Rashid
Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Asghar Afghan-who played Test cricket found their
place in the T20 squad.
So there intention is clear that they have enough players for all format
of cricket and they can make difference.
“We have the options and we know what we can do. But we have to know
what we can’t do. We have prepared ourselves that way,” said Afghanistan
coach Andy Moles said after his side’s practice session on Thursday.
He also said that his charges are ready to go all guns blazing in the
T20 format.
“The players are ready and they are raring to go.”