Image Credit- Getty
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi made what may
be his second-to-last appearance in front of the world press during this
tournament, pressing the ICC and his board to give ODIs priority moving ahead.
Afghanistan, with eight points and a spot in sixth place, will need to defeat
South Africa handily in their last league match on Friday in Ahmedabad and pray
that Pakistan loses to England in order to advance to the semi-finals.
“Fifty-over cricket is also important,”
Shahidi said in Ahmedabad. “Right now, there are too many leagues, too
much T20 cricket and I think 50-overs and Test cricket is more important. If we
have those games, we will definitely improve more. We are expecting our cricket
board and ICC to give us more matches for our improvement.”
In contrast to what he had anticipated, Afghanistan is
no longer assured a series against the supposedly stronger teams due to the
World Cup Super League’s discontinuation, and the latest FTP calendar indicates
a more streamlined schedule. Between the end of the last World Cup and the
beginning of this one, they played 29 ODIs, including series against the West
Indies, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan (keep in mind that two-and-a-half of those
years were severely disrupted by Covid-19 disruptions). They are scheduled to
play 33 ODIs in the upcoming cycle, but only six of those matches will be
against teams in the top eight, and none will be against Australia, England,
New Zealand, South Africa, or Pakistan. Shahidi believes that will alter.
“We have a cricket board and management and we
are hoping they take a lot of series with other teams. There will be 50-over
cricket. I am expecting that.”
Afghanistan will hopefully be able to enjoy some ODI
cricket in the not too distant future, regardless of what occurs. They will
compete against the other seven best teams in the format and will be guaranteed
a spot at the Champions Trophy in 2025 if they finish no worse than sixth in
this World Cup.