The Afghanistan captain and Legge’s decision not to play in either of the two Super Overs in the loss to South Africa was puzzling, especially since spinner Keshav Maharaj did the job for the winners…Some failures can crush you. It was such an afternoon in Ahmedabad on Wednesday for Afghanistan.Push boundaries with our YouTube channel. Subscribe now!Two losses to South Africa in the Super League, which all but ended the team’s T20 World Cup campaign, now seems like the end of the world. But Afghanistan should take heart in the fact that it is their famous fighting spirit, inherent in their cricket, that enables them to overcome all odds in the competition.
Afghanistan is not without its share of heartbreaking losses. Glenn Maxwell’s superhero performance at the Wankhede saw them lose to Australia in the 2023 ODI World Cup, which could have cost them a semi-final spot. The 2024 T20 World Cup semi-final loss to South Africa was more sobering, but there was little the Afghans could have done differently in this defeat. Maybe just one thing – the bowlers they select in at least one super overs match. Rashid Khan has been their talisman over the years and is still considered one of the best players in T20 cricket, but interestingly, he has chosen to stay away from the game.Rashid used to enjoy bowling. However, in both defeats at this World Cup, the superstar did not bowl in the first six overs. His decision to avoid the pressure cooker of the Super Overs was a bit confusing, especially since South Africa picked Keshav Maharaj in the second Super Overs.
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Do you think Afghanistan can learn from this mega-failure?
Rashid brought many unforgettable moments to Afghanistan, but no one asked why he wasn’t here. Coach Jonathan Trott hasn’t been forced to confront the issue either, but it remains to be asked, is Rashid still the bowler he used to be?The question is relevant because the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad is a familiar pitch for bowlers. Rashid plays for the Gujarat Titans in the IPL and has extensive experience of the Indian situation. He took figures of 2-28 in South Africa’s chase and was Afghanistan’s most economical bowler in the 20-over series. On top of that, no other bowler in his team creates the fear factor that he does.However, Azmatullah Omarzai was asked to bowl the second super over and the medium pacer conceded 24 balls which did make the task extremely difficult. But Rahmanullah Gubaz remains one of those players.Gubaz’s 42-ball 84 in Afghanistan’s chase and three sixes off Maharaj showed his strength of character.The 24-year-old has been a key figure in Afghanistan’s batting line-up for some time now.Coach Trott feels that Gubas has such talent and he should produce more performances like this.“This was probably the best inning I’ve ever seen him play, and unfortunately he couldn’t get us over the line. With his talent, size, athleticism and natural hand-eye coordination, now he’s going to move on.”“He puts his heart out there, and over the years I’ve tried to make him more consistent in everything he does,” Trott said.It will be interesting to see if Gubaz takes on more responsibility as time goes on, taking over the baton from Rashid and turning Afghanistan into a team better able to handle crunch time.
