Afghanistan couldn’t have picked a worse time to meet Pakistan in the first ever one-day international against a Test-playing team on Friday. Pakistan is charged up and in high confidence coming off an historic first whitewash of England in a Test series. This one-dayer is serving as a warm-up game for Pakistan before it takes on England in four ODIs and three Twenty20s.
Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan believes non-Test teams like Afghanistan are a threat in ODIs and Twenty20s. “I’ve always been saying this, that you can’t take any opposition lightly in shorter formats of the game,” Khan said on Wednesday. “We have to play against them with full concentration and we can’t take them easy. I am very happy for them and it’s good that they are playing at a neutral venue and I hope it will be a good game.” Afghanistan is ranked ninth in Twenty20s, and did well against South Africa and India in the 2010 World Twenty20. Afghanistan have won 11 and lost seven one-dayers against affiliate and associate teams since it was awarded ODI status in 2009.
In 2010, Afghanistan defeated Pakistan in the Twenty20 semifinals at the Asian Games before winning the silver medal at Guangzhou, China. Last year, Afghanistan became the first foreign team to tour Pakistan since 2009 when it played three one-dayers against Pakistan but was comprehensively beaten 3-0. Afghanistan manager Shafiqullah Stanikzai said his team was not in good form then and will do much better this time.
“It’s a tough and exciting challenge for us and we are looking forward to playing against the No. 1 form team in the world,” Stanikzai said. “They have just whitewashed England and we will learn a lot from it.” In recent years, Afghanistan had problems with its head coaches, with former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif and Kabir Khan both quitting. Kabir Khan was expected to rejoin Afghanistan this month before the World Twenty20 qualifiers start next month in the United Arab Emirates.
“With this opportunity we hope to build our team and next month we will feature in the World Twenty20 qualifiers and hope to win that again to play the main tournament,” said Stanikzai of the World Twenty20 event to be held in Sri Lanka in September-October this year. Afghanistan’s team will be led by Nawroz Mangal and has exciting players in Karem Sadiq, Mohammad Nabi, Mohammad Shahzad and fast bowler Hamid Hassan. Pakistan coach Mohsin Khan said his team will not take Afghanistan lightly. “Afghanistan’s team is coming up very fast and we will take them very seriously,” said Khan, hoping his team carry on their good work from the 3-0 Test series win over England.
