Can Afghanistan continue their rise in ODI cricket?

Overview

Afghanistan's victory over England in the 2023 ODI World Cup was seen as an anomaly, given their earlier defeats to Bangladesh and India, followed by a loss to New Zealand after that win against Jos Buttler's side. However, their growth in the 50-over format soon became evident as they secured three consecutive wins, comfortably defeating Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands. They were on the brink of a fourth straight victory, if not for a sensational innings from Glenn Maxwell, and narrowly missed out on a spot in the semifinals of the 2023 event.

Currently ranked eighth in the ICC ODI rankings, Afghanistan may not be positioned among the elite and have long been recognised for their skills in T20 cricket. However, they are steadily making their mark in the 50-over format as well. Their good run in the 2023 World Cup, followed by their first-ever semifinal appearance in the 2024 Men's T20 World Cup, and their recent ODI victories, further underscore their rising stature on the global stage. With the advantage of playing in familiar Asian conditions, Afghanistan come across as a dark horse for the Champions Trophy.

ODI Form Guide: W | W | W | L | W (Last 5 completed games)

Since the conclusion of the 2023 World Cup, Afghanistan have gone on to win 8 out of 14 ODIs, including a famous 2-1 series win against South Africa in Sharjah. They also beat Ireland, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in bilateral series while their only loss came against Sri Lanka.

Squad:

Hashmatullah Shahidi (C), Rahmat Shah (VC), Rahmanullah Gurbaz (WK), Ikram Alikhil (WK), Ibrahim Zadran, Sediqullah Atal, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Nangeyalia Kharote, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveed Zadran and Farid Ahmad Malik

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The return of Ibrahim Zadran, and the current form of Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Azmatullah Omarzai (recently named the ICC Men's ODI Cricketer of the Year), all augur well for the Afghanistan team who go in with a well-balanced squad. The experienced Rashid Khan will lead their spin attack which has four slow bowlers. Despite AM Ghazanfar's injury-forced absence, Afghanistan have a solid spin bowling unit. Afghanistan's squad includes 10 players who featured in the 2023 World Cup, and they have all bases covered in terms of experienced batting, a reliable pace attack and the presence of quality all-rounders.

Group Stage Schedule:

February 21: vs South Africa, Karachi

February 26: vs England, Lahore

February 28: vs Australia, Lahore

A four-day gap before their second game against England provides a well-earned break, but Afghanistan face a quick turnaround before their final group match against Australia. However, being based in Pakistan for all their games and playing two matches in Lahore allow them a sense of continuity and a better read on the conditions. Afghanistan will also head into the tournament with plenty of confidence, having previously beaten the teams in their group.