Afghan cricket comes of age as T20 World Cup enters semifinal stage

A nerve-racking eight-run win over Bangladesh at the Twenty20 (T20) World Cup on Monday saw Afghanistan script history as they booked their place in the semifinals of a cricket World Cup for the first time in their history.

The semifinal qualification is the latest in a series of successes for Afghan cricket in recent years. Afghanistan became a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017, enabling them to play Test matches, considered the pinnacle of professional cricket. They have followed up that achievement with a series of impressive results, including a string of upsets at the One-Day International (ODI) World Cup in India last year.

At the ongoing T20 World Cup, co-hosted by the USA and the West Indies, Afghanistan's run to the last four has included wins over heavyweights New Zealand and Australia, in a reaffirmation of prowess for the team that beat storied opposition like England and Pakistan at last year's ODI World Cup.

The showpiece event in cricket's shortest format has seen rain play spoilsport in a number of games this year, with four matches being cancelled due to inclement weather. That hasn't dampened the overall proceedings, however, with many games keeping fans absorbed in the action on the pitch.

The USA, who qualified for the tournament for the first time by virtue of being co-hosts and who have a squad largely featuring part-time players from the South Asian diaspora, shocked Pakistan in the group stages, beating the last edition's finalists in a super over for one of the biggest shocks in the tournament's history. That victory enabled the USA to progress to the event's second group stage.

Fellow tournament debutants Canada notched a surprise result as well, defeating Test side Ireland in a group stage game. In another group stage contest, underdogs Nepal almost beat South Africa, eventually falling short by just one run in a heartbreaking defeat.

Afghanistan's 21-run victory over Australia in the second group stage, which was a major factor in paving the Afghans' way to the semis, was arguably the most significant result of the tournament.

The gap between the two sides wasn't as big on paper as between the USA and Pakistan. The Afghans, in fact, had come agonizingly close to beating Australia at the 2023 ODI World Cup – but the result was proof of the Afghans coming of age in international cricket.

Beating Australia, the reigning ODI and Test world champions as well as T20 world champions in 2021, and moving into the semifinals at their expense was a landmark moment for Afghan cricket.

Multiple Afghan players have stood out with their performances in the tournament so far: Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran have been among the top three highest run-getters, while Fazalhaq Farooqi and skipper Rashid Khan are among the top three wicket-takers.

Up next for Afghanistan will be South Africa, considered cricket's perennial underachievers, as they have never previously made it to a World Cup final across any format after multiple near-misses. 

The Proteas, as the South African cricketers are popularly known, have won all of their matches at the ongoing tournament. But they have labored to victory in most of their games, often coming under serious pressure, including against minnows Nepal and the USA.

Irrespective of who wins the semifinal between South Africa and Afghanistan, a maiden World Cup finalist is a certainty. In the other semifinal, defending champions England are set to face off against India, with the latter unbeaten in the tournament so far.

While England have had their share of struggles during this tournament, they boast a number of players who have tasted success in recent years as part of the triumphant 2019 ODI World Cup or the 2022 T20 World Cup campaigns.

India, on the other hand, haven't won an ICC tournament since clinching the Champions Trophy title in 2013, losing in multiple finals and semifinals since then. In good form so far, the Indian side hope to break that hoodoo in this tournament.

The only matter of concern for organizers and fans will be the weather forecast in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, and Providence, Guyana – the two venues for the semifinals – with rain potentially impacting the matches.