Young pacer Naveen-ul-Haq believes that their team Afghanistan can do well in the upcoming T20 World Cup in the West Indies and the United States. The underdogs performed exceedingly well in the recently concluded ODI World Cup, defeating high-ranked England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan will try to build on its success from the 2023 ODI World Cup as they prepare for the 2024 T20 World Cup. Afghanistan’s five-team group for the marquee event includes the home nation West Indies and New Zealand, with only two making it to the Super Eights and the team would be keen on putting up a fine show to move to the knockout stage of the tournament.
Speaking to the media ahead of the 2nd T20I, Naveen-ul-Haq believes that Afghanistan is known for their dominant style of play and should be able to do well in the major event, adding that Afghanistan gained a lot of confidence from their performance in the ODI World Cup last year on Indian soil.
“Afghanistan are renowned for T20 cricket. Afghanistan are dominant when it comes to T20 cricket. We are high on confidence after a good show in the ODI World Cup.”
“We are sure that we will carry on the same momentum in the series (vs India) and later on in the T20 World Cup in the Caribbean and US,” Naveen-ul-Haq said.
Naveen-ul-Haq did not have the finest of performances in the 1st T20I when Afghanistan fell by six wickets to India. The Right-arm-pacer concluded with stats of 3.3-0-43-3 as the Indian team chased down a target of 159 with 15 balls remaining in the innings. Afghanistan has yet to beat India in T20Is since their first match in 2010.
The Afghanistan cricket team created waves in world cricket with their outstanding performance at the 2023 Cricket World Cup. The team has had an incredible run in the marquee event, defeating past winners England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, after winning only one game in their previous two World Cups.
Followed by the India series, Afghanistan will tour Sri Lanka in February for one Test, three One-Day Internationals, and three Twenty20 Internationals. The one-off Test is set to take place at the SSC in Colombo from February 2 to 6.
The ODI series will be played at the R Premadasa Stadium in Colombo from February 9 to 14 and will then fly to Dambulla for three T20Is, which will be held on February 17, 19, and 21 to get themselves ready for the 2024 T20 World Cup.
