Last Update on: November 7th, 2023 at 11:42 am
Former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra has praised Afghanistan’s outstanding performances in the World Cup 2023, considering them the standout team in the tournament. Aakash Chopra described Afghanistan as a formidable and competent team in the competition.
Afghanistan began the ongoing marquee event with consecutive losses to Bangladesh and India. However, the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led team bounced back with four wins in their next five matches, including victories against England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan Are Playing Extremely Well – Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra praised the Afghan team’s capability to chase and set targets effectively. Chopra pointed out that they have been successful in defeating the tournament’s title contenders.
“Afghanistan have a lot to play for, all to play for. They are playing extremely well. In my opinion, they are the team of the tournament thus far, the way they have played. They have won while chasing and done well while setting targets as well,” Chopra said.
“They have been able to knock down big-big teams. They knocked down Pakistan and England. They defeated Sri Lanka as though they had come for timepass. They also said tata bye-bye to the Netherlands. So. it’s a very decent team,” he added.
The Afghan team is currently in 6th place in the 10-team points table. They have 8 points with a Net Run Rate (NRR) of -0.330. If they win their next two matches, they will advance to the semi-finals for the first time.
You Can Play Noor Ahmad – Aakash Chopra
The cricketer-turned-commentator suggested that Afghanistan should include Noor Ahmad in their playing XI against Australia. He also noted that it is a critical game for Australia to secure their spot in the semi-finals.
“I would say you can play Noor Ahmad because you can only stop Australia with spin but the scales are tilted towards Australia. Australia also know that qualification is on the line.”
“They can finish either second or third, neither can they go to No. 1 nor will they finish at No. 4. So if they win this match, they can keep the qualification aside and relax a little. If they win this match, a ‘Q’ will be written in front of their name.”
Afghanistan will lock horns with the Pat Cummins-led team in their upcoming match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Tuesday, November 7.
