T20 World Cup: Afghanistan take on Scotland | Cricket News – Times of India

An uncertain future awaiting back home, Afghanistan take on Scotland – a team keen to prove they can handle the big stage
Fifteen Afghan men from a war-ravaged region, with a cloud of uncertainty hanging heavy on their future, landed in the UAE on October 6 with the united dream of bringing some joy and respite to their countrymen who have been left to cope with the Taliban invasion since August. Short on practice but not on determination, talent and willpower they are keen to make their time on the field at the T20 World Cup count.
On Monday night they take on a resurgent Scotland in the opening Super 12s contest. The two teams in terms of cricket culture, preparations and skill-set are as different as chalk and cheese.
On one side is the talented Afghanistan unit led by the seasoned Mohammed Nabi, on the other are the Scottish men, who are on a dream run on the international stage.

Before this edition of the T20 showpiece event, Scotland had won one inconsequential match against Hong Kong five years ago, which was their first win in 21 matches since they made their first appearance in the tournament in 2007. Although cricket in the country dates back to 225 years, their appearance on the international stage, since earning an ICC membership in 1994 has been at best token.
But in 2021, the bunch of 15 mostly part-time cricketers and full-time professionals from different spheres have risen phenomenally. They entered the Super League on the strength of three consecutive wins against Bangladesh, Papua New Guinea and Oman in the qualifiers to create history in a country where cricket is still in its infancy.
In the past they have come agonisingly close to qualifying for the World Cup main event but fell agonisingly short. But this time around, armed with experience and thriving on self-belief they have covered a remarkable distance in their cricket journey.
Before the start of the competition, their experienced skipper Kyle Coetzer had pointed to belief being their biggest strength. “We have skills throughout with bat, ball and in the field but I think our biggest strength is our belief. As a team, as a country, we really believe now that we are capable of playing on the world stage and in World Cups, so our main strength as a team is belief,” the 27-yearold South Africa-born Scot was quoted as saying by the ICC.
The Scottish team worked tirelessly in the run-up to the competition with match exposure, training and fitness regimes being their prime focus.
In sharp contrast, the journey from Afghanistan to the UAE itself has been an arduous task for the Afghan cricket team. Given the political turmoil in the country, barring the players who feature in the Indian Premier League, the rest of the pack is short on match practice. In the build-up to the tournament they have also had to deal with the controversy of spin ace Rashid Khan stepping down as captain hours after being named to lead the side in the UAE.
The tumultuous circumstances notwithstanding, over the years, the grit, determination and guile of the players, particularly the spinners, have resulted in the Afghanistan team shocking some of the best in the business. This time around too, they are keen on taking the desert by storm.
While both teams come into the match with equal measures of confidence, purpose and hunger to succeed, it is hard to ignore the gap in talent. Both the teams are familiar with the other’s strength and weakness having faced each other on many occasions. While Scotland have done exceedingly well in the qualifiers, they will be up against the astuteness of the Afghan spin bowlers.
Afghanistan have many aces up their sleeves, especially the slower pitches favouring their formidable spin wealth led by Rashid. Nabi and the young Mujeeb Ur Rahman offer potency to the spin attack. Openers Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad form the crux of their batting line-up with Najibullah Zadran and Nabi being the core strength of the middle-order.
The new-ball pair of Bradley Wheal and Josh Davey along with left-arm spinner Mark Watt form the fulcrum of Scotland’s bowling attack. Much of their batting hope will rest on the experienced shoulders of Richard Berrington, Calum MacLeod and Coetzer.