Australia, the 2023 ODI World Cup champions, were eliminated by the Afghans during this process. They surprised New Zealand in a group-stage match two weeks prior, and they upset the Aussie applecart in a Super Eight match on Sunday (the Kiwis did not even make it to the Super Eight stage).
It has been an incredible run for Rashid’s team in an odd competition that has seen perennial bridesmaid New Zealand, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka—all past world champions in the T20 and ODI formats—leave early.
Source: Cricket Times
Afghanistan’s outstanding performance is encouraging for a nation experiencing a severe humanitarian catastrophe. About one-third of the population is thought to be food insecure, making the current state of food security concerning. The problems facing millions of Afghans have gotten worse due to an economic slowdown and political turmoil brought on by the Taliban takeover in August 2021.
Even though the quality of the healthcare, education, and sanitation services is still far below expectations, the flow of funding from donor organisations has decreased. Cricket has become a comfort in the midst of chaos.One cannot write off the Afghan team’s advancement to the semifinals as a random event. They had defeated Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and England in the India-hosted ODI World Cup last year.
Source: Firstpost
However, their valiant efforts were in vain as they were unable to advance to the round of four. Afghanistan is now a formidable force in cricket, regardless of the result of their semifinal match against South Africa. In this competition, Team India has certainly dazzled everyone, but the Afghans have won many hearts with their never-say-die mentality.
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