Rashid Highlights Afghanistan’s Dedicated World Cup Preparations

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan emphasized that while the upcoming T20I series against Bangladesh is important, his team is primarily concentrated on preparing for the ICC T20I World Cup. Nonetheless, he made it clear that the team is thoroughly committed to the series.

Preparing for the series in Sharjah, Afghanistan is focused on bouncing back after failing to progress beyond the group stage in the recent Asia Cup.

“Each game is a new challenge. We didn’t lack competitiveness during the Asia Cup. Our goal is to maintain our competitive edge to build a balanced side for the upcoming World Cup,” Rashid stated ahead of their first match against Bangladesh on October 2.

Rashid admitted the team hasn’t played many T20Is, with their last tournament being the World Cup several months prior. Despite the gap, he believes regrouping now is beneficial for their development.

“Our main aim is World Cup preparation rather than immediate victories. Winning exhibition matches would be undermined by a poor World Cup performance,” he remarked.

“If current losses lead to World Cup success, that is our true victory. For instance, despite setbacks before the 2024 World Cup, we made it to the semi-finals, which was significant,” he recalled.

Rashid reflected on past matches, noting that despite initial defeats to teams like Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh, Afghanistan managed to triumph over top teams such as England later on, highlighting valuable lessons learned.

“Despite setbacks in the Asia Cup, our intention is always to win while focusing on improving for the World Cup,” he added.

In contrast, Bangladesh captain Jaker Ali mentioned the absence of Litton Das heavily impacted their Asia Cup performance, leading to crucial match losses.

Litton missed vital Super Fours games, which Bangladesh narrowly lost, resulting in their elimination from the tournament.

“Losing Litton, who was in excellent form, was a major blow for us during the Asia Cup,” Jaker stated in Sharjah. “However, we are keen to move forward and improve.”

Jaker stressed the importance of a strong batting performance in their upcoming series against Afghanistan.

“We need to prioritize our batting as it has been our weakness. Winning matches is our ultimate goal, regardless of the style of play,” said Jaker.

“Winning is the priority, whether through modern or traditional play. Afghanistan’s strength in spin bowling makes them formidable opponents,” he predicted.