Image Credit- Getty
Check for England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the
Netherlands. Who’s next?
Afghanistan’s two World Cup campaigns had yielded just
one victory, in 2015, going into this event. They have now defeated three
previous World Cup champions in just this edition, and they are aiming for two
vital points against Netherlands to intensify the competition for a spot in the
semi-finals.
When Afghanistan played the West Indies in one Test,
three Twenty20 Internationals, and three One-Day Internationals in 2019,
Lucknow was their adopted home ground. Even though they weren’t very successful
in the ODIs back then, their familiarity with the location may provide them an
advantage in this match.
Afghanistan’s campaign has resulted in the resolution
of some significant issues. They were too dependent on their top order to get
runs, but now that Hashmatullah Shahidi and Azmatullah Omarzai have established
themselves, the middle order is starting to flourish. Following a four-wicket
haul against Sri Lanka, Afghanistan’s fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi has
demonstrated that their attack is more than just spin.
But Afghanistan faces a team that has a lot on the
line as well. Even if their prospects of making it to the semi-finals are
minimal, Netherlands still has a genuine possibility of winning the 2025
Champions Trophy. They must place in the top eight of this World Cup in order
to accomplish that, and if they beat Afghanistan by two points, they will have
a four-point advantage over the two countries who are now ranked lower—England
and Bangladesh.
Netherlands enters the match on Friday having defeated
Bangladesh and South Africa earlier in the competition. With the exception of
the crushing loss to Australia, their bowling has been reliable, but their
batting hasn’t had much punch. In this high-scoring competition, the
Netherlands has only scored 250 or more thrice, and they have frequently needed
their middle and lower order to pull through.
Netherlands will need to figure out a means to triumph
against an Afghanistan attack that is much more than the extraordinary Rashid
Khan at a place where run-scoring hasn’t been as simple.