Afghanistan Cricket Team: Strengths And Weaknesses Of Shahidi And Co. For ODI World Cup

The ICC ODI World Cup 2023 is about to begin and all the squads have been locked in. While teams like India, England, and Australia will enter the tournament as favourites to lift the trophy, the other extreme belongs to teams like Afghanistan and Netherlands. They may come as minnows but on their day can strike off any opponent. Thus, let's divert focus to one of them, let's take Afghanistan's team today.

While Afghanistan became one of the teams to get automatic qualification for the ICC ODI World Cup 2023, it is still a building force in the field of cricket. However, the level has exponentially increased over the years and the coming World Cup comes as a huge opportunity for the Afghans to establish their mark in world cricket. In order to make it happen, Afghanistan would have to count on their strengths (S), but have to stay wary of its weaknesses (w), must evade the threats (T) and make the most of the opportunities (O), that will be presented in the journey. With the prelude set, let's compile all of them in one place and try to draw a SWOT analysis on the Afghanistan squad.

Getting into the Groove! ⚡

AfghanAtalan have hit the ground running ahead of their 1st ICC CWC 2023 warmup fixture against South Africa tomorrow. 👊#AfghanAtalan | #CWC23 | #WarzaMaidanGata pic.twitter.com/XqiqmBK4BF

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 28, 2023

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Afghanistan's Squad for ODI World Cup 2023

Afghanistan Cricket Team squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq.

Afghanistan's 'Strengths' in ODI World Cup 2023

Spinners in the team- Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi- are the biggest names in the squad, and if they do well then,Afghanistan's chances will take an upward trajectory. The trio has experience playing in India, which further contributes to the wellness of the team. Moreover, they are scheduled to play in Chennai, Lucknow, and Delhi, where the pitch tends to be on the slower side. All-in-all if these spinners come to their own then they are very much capable to expose the strongest of the sides.

Afghanistan's 'Weaknesses' in ODI World Cup 2023

Despite having some credible batsmen in their line-up, the department does not pose confidence as batters have been largely inconsistent over the years. In one match, the batting clicks and it miserably fails in another. It has been the story of Afghanistan since the team's emergence on the international stage. Another weakness, that inhibits the team is the anomaly in experience. Some players have travelled all over the world and have played in different T20 leagues, but others may have no idea about to approach a team like Australia or England.

Afghanistan's 'Opportunities' in ODI World Cup 2023

Since there is a lack of match-winners in the squad, the team has to click and pounce together as one. The inclusion of the expressive Naveen-ul-Haq and Azmatullah Omarzai will bring a new spirit to the team. The biggest opportunity for the team is to eradicate the perception that Afghanistan is a team that has nothing to lose and everything to win. To distance itself from the competitors, who belong in the same Venn, the World Cup comes as a massive opportunity for the Afghanistan team to give itself a new identity.

Afghanistan's 'Threats' in ODI World Cup 2023

The side has incurred many injuries in the past and so one of the challenges the team will face is to keep every member of the squad fit in the long tournament. To make it happen, the captain and coach have to rotate the players, which in turn won't be easy as the team is heavily dependent on a few players to get them the ideal result. Thus, the bench talent could be the make-or-break factor for AFG.

Afghanistan's Schedule in ODI World Cup 2023

• Saturday, October 7: Bangladesh v Afghanistan, HPCA Stadium, Dharamsala – 10:30am
• Wednesday, October 11: India v Afghanistan, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi – 2pm
• Sunday, October 15: England v Afghanistan, Arun Jaitley Stadium, Delhi – 2pm
• Wednesday, October 18: New Zealand v Afghanistan, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 2pm
• Monday, October 23: Pakistan v Afghanistan, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai – 2pm
• Monday, October 30: Afghanistan v Sri Lanka, MCA International Stadium, Pune – 2pm
• Friday, November 3: Netherlands v Afghanistan, BRSABVE Stadium, Lucknow – 2pm
• Tuesday, November 7: Australia v Afghanistan, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai – 2pm
• Friday, November 10: South Africa v Afghanistan, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad – 2pm

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Prediction for Afghanistan in ODI World Cup 2023

We have to reiterate the fact that while Bangladesh as a team have scaled up over the years, but the competition is intense and those with fewer weaknesses have a better chance. Afghanistan does have a squad that can beat Netherlands, Bangladesh, or to some extent even Sri Lanka, but against the mighty Australians or the defending champions England, and the Asian giants, India, they are likely to finish second on the day. Thus, given they still have a long way to go, Afghanistan might finish 9th or 8th on the points table.