In an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, shares insights into his team’s thrilling campaign, winning strategies, and their growing confidence.
Lucknow, India – Afghanistan’s performance in this year’s Cricket World Cup has been nothing short of historic. They have defeated three former champions, positioning themselves for a potential first-ever semifinal berth. However, Captain Shahidi prefers not to label these victories as “upsets.”
“Not an upset, not an upset. I still believe that we haven’t caused any upsets,” he remarked with a smile during the interview with Al Jazeera at their team’s hotel in Lucknow, India. “An upset is when you win off the last ball or something of that sort. As a team, we possess the capability to defeat any opponent; we have the same level of skill as the other teams. If they underestimate us, they will face defeat.”
This marks Afghanistan’s third appearance in the 50-over World Cup, having previously participated in 2015 and 2019. In their first two tournaments, they managed only one win in 15 matches, against Scotland in 2015.
However, in this year’s tournament, they have triumphed over former World Cup champions England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, as well as the Netherlands. They currently stand sixth in the round-robin stage table with eight points, with two games remaining in the group stage.
Hosts India and South Africa have already secured their spots in the semifinals, while Sri Lanka, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, and England have been eliminated. This leaves Australia, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Afghanistan vying for the final two spots.
If we make it to the semifinals, we won’t consider it ‘enough,'” he added on Friday, shortly after his team’s dominant seven-wicket victory over the Netherlands.
The squad continues to compete under the green, black, and red national flag, despite the ban imposed by the Taliban, who regained power just over two years ago.
In a rare display of public celebration since the Taliban’s resurgence, Kabul residents commemorated Afghanistan’s astonishing eight-wicket victory over Pakistan in the Cricket World Cup with gunfire and fireworks.
Afghanistan’s next match is scheduled in Mumbai on Tuesday against the five-time champions, Australia. A victory would propel Afghanistan past Pakistan and New Zealand, both also with eight points, securing a spot in the top four.
“We must concentrate on our upcoming game against Australia and formulate our strategy accordingly,” remarked the left-handed middle-order batsman, who celebrated his 29th birthday on Saturday.