A new T20 power rises in world cricket
India hosted the first-ever Test match of the Afghanistan cricket team in June 2018 and also designated two cricket fields in the country for the Afghans, helping them take their first steps in the game. The success now will push them even further but the beginning was crucial.
Afghanistan’s dream run in the T20 World Cup is over. They lost a one-sided match on an undercooked pitch to South Africa in the semi-final on Thursday but every cricket fan knows that this was not a true reflection of their class. The Rashid Khan-led team have made rapid strides in every format but T20 is the one where they truly shine. Much of this is down to their players participating in T20 club leagues around the world and gathering the experience needed to excel against top-tier teams.
The problem for most Associate nations is that the top teams rarely play them. Afghanistan, who have since gained Test status, are no different. Australia and New Zealand have played just two T20Is against them, England and South Africa have played three, India have played nine by comparison, a simple statistic that tells the story of the bond that the two teams continue to share. India hosted the first-ever Test match of the Afghanistan cricket team in June 2018 and also designated two cricket fields in the country for the Afghans, helping them take their first steps in the game. The success now will push them even further but the beginning was crucial.
Just after the team made the semi-final, the Afghan government expressed appreciation to the Indian government for supporting their cricket team. On a different note, this is a reaffirmation of Indian cricket’s potential as a soft-power, which could be used more judiciously to improve Indian diplomacy in the neighbourhood. Cricket can help build favourable constituencies within civil society.