Afghanistan had a dream run in last year’s ODI World Cup in India. While they were expected to do well in Indian conditions, not many expected them to do better than some of the powerhouses of world cricket.
The team led by Hashmatullah Shahidi surprised the cricket world with their performance in the 50-over World Cup. They began their campaign with two losses but quickly recovered. After losses against Bangladesh and India, Afghanistan opened their account in style by thrashing defending champions England.
They also defeated Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Afghanistan were also in a strong position against Australia before a monumental double century from Glenn Maxwell achieved a miraculous victory for the eventual champions. In the end, Afghanistan finished the competition in sixth place in the points table.
One man who received a lot of credit for Afghanistan’s brave display in the ODI World Cup was former India batsman Ajay Jadeja. Just before the start of the competition, Afghanistan had hired Ajay Jadeja as a mentor, and the move paid off. Even during the competition, Afghanistan head coach Jonathon Trott gave Jadeja credit for the team’s performance and said:
“I think Ajay brings a lot of experience having played a lot of cricket in India. He is always a good sounding board when it comes to conditions, venues and also the other teams from the subcontinent that we have played against.”
Well, Ajay Jadeja will receive more praise after Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan’s recent revelation. The ACB director has revealed that Jadeja did not receive any fee from the board for his services as a mentor. “If you play well, that’s all the money and reward I need,” Jadeja told ACB.
Former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja refused to accept his payment from the Afghanistan Cricket Board for his role as a mentor to @ACBofficials during the @cricketworldcup – reveals that ACB CEO @NaseebAFGcric will host the broadcaster @ArianaNews_
👏 @vijaylokapally @iRashidLatif68 pic.twitter.com/dGmIWXQQyx
– Devender Kumar (@asdevender_bbc) June 14, 2024
Afghanistan breaks into the Super 8:
After impressing in the ODI World Cup last year, Afghanistan have also performed brilliantly so far in the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. They have booked their place in the Super 8 of Group C ahead of heavyweight New Zealand. Afghanistan currently sit at the top of the points table, ahead of co-hosts West Indies, who are in second place.
The team led by Rashid Khan began their campaign with a clear victory over Uganda. They thrashed the T20 World Cup debutants by 125 runs to start their campaign in style before inflicting a famous defeat on New Zealand. After scoring 159 runs, Afghanistan bowled out New Zealand for just 75 runs to win the game by 84 runs. In their third match, they beat Papua New Guinea to seal their place in the Super 8.
