I have never seen a cricketing nation rise as rapidly as Afghanistan: Imran Khan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said that he’s awestruck with the growth of Afghanistan cricket over the last decade. The team, led by Mohammad Nabi, didn’t have to go through the Qualifiers as they secured a direct qualification to the Super 12 of the T20 World Cup 2021. They started their campaign with a resounding 130-run victory over Kyle Coetzer’s Scotland.

On Friday, the Afghans gave Pakistan a run for their money at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium. But in the end, the Men in Green defeated Nabi’s Afghanistan by five wickets. Khan, also a former Pakistan all-rounder, lauded Babar Azam and Co. for their strong showing on Friday night.

But he didn’t forget to laud Afghanistan for their meteoric rise at the highest level. The veteran said that the Afghans have a bright future in the offing with the abundance of talent in their country.

Khan took to Twitter and wrote, “Congratulations Team Pakistan. Impressive cricket by Team Afghanistan. Never have I seen a cricketing nation rise as rapidly as Afghanistan in international cricket & become so competitive. With this competitive spirit & talent the future of cricket is bright in Afghanistan.”

Imran Khan’s tweet

Congratulations Team Pakistan. Impressive cricket by Team Afghanistan. Never have I seen a cricketing nation rise as rapidly as Afghanistan in international cricket & become so competitive. With this competitive spirit & talent the future of cricket is bright in Afghanistan.

— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) October 29, 2021

After the game, Nabi reckoned that a score around 150 would have posed Pakistan a threat on the relatively slow track in Dubai. He also had words of praises for Asif Ali, who smashed Karim Janat for four sixes in the penultimate over to take Pakistan home.

“We didn’t start well but the total on the board was a decent one for this pitch. We discussed that 150 would be a good score and so we dug deep. And then got some runs in the last few overs. I think three spinners are enough.

“Rashid bowled at the right time and we tried to take the game deep. Asif Ali played really well in the 19th over. Lot of positives from today’s game. We fought really well till the end,” Rashid added.

The Afghans are next scheduled to lock horns with Namibia on Sunday, October 31 at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Namibia will also go into the game after beating Scotland by four wickets on Wednesday at the same venue.