Image Credit- AFP
They arrived. They observed. They triumphed even. Only
not the final one on Friday.
Afghanistan is regarded by some as the tournament’s
best team, although they exit the 2023 World Cup before the knockout stages.
They have demonstrated a mature style of play that indicates they will be
strong competitors in the upcoming events, and they are all but certain to
finish in sixth place, earning them a spot in the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Afghanistan’s immediate focus will be on their batting
performance versus Bangladesh and the several wasted opportunities they had,
particularly off Glenn Maxwell in the Australia match when he was dismissed on
33 and went on to make a match-winning double-hundred. However, when they adopt
a broad perspective, they ought to consider it with great pride throughout a
statement campaign, building on both group and individual performances.
The most vocal came from Azmatullah Omarzai, the
all-rounder who fell three runs short of becoming the second Afghan batter to
reach a century in the World Cup and ended up being their second-highest run
scorer with the highest average in Ahmedabad’s match against South Africa.
On Friday, Omarzai struck three fours over the covers,
but his day’s best stroke came when he returned a six over Aiden Markram’s
head. A thwack could be heard even through the press box’s glass, and there was
a chorus of oooohs and aaahs that echoed Trott’s sentiment, maybe due to the
stadium being less than tenth full.
In addition to his evident brilliance, Omarzai’s
performance should inspire hope because of what it signifies for Afghanistan’s
depth. Omarzai is among the Afghan players of the younger generation, following
in the footsteps of pioneers such as Mohammad Nabi and Hashmatullah Shahidi.
Joining Omarzai in the 2018 age-group World Cup was Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim
Zadran, Ikram Alikhil, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Mujeeb Ur Rahman, all of whom played
for Afghanistan and advanced to the semi-finals.
Each of them made a difference in some way throughout
this competition, and Trott hopes that this trend of producing Afghan talent
will continue to flow through the pipeline for the selectors.
They will remember this campaign as a time capsule
where they experienced some of the highlights of their careers and revealed to
the world an aspect of their nation rarely seen: a joyful, cohesive, and
victorious nation – at least in this World Cup – along with a group of players
having the time of their lives.