Expectations from the Afghan team have increased: Nawroz Mangal – Cricket News Update
While speaking at a press conference in Colombo, prior to the ICC World Twenty20, Afghanistan team skipper http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Nawroz-Mangal-c2084 revealed that the weight of expectations on the national side had increased owing to their improved performances, with fans back home expecting a good show.
“First time we qualified for World T20, the expechttp://www.senore.com/Cricket/Thomas-George-Burrows-c93472ations weren’t high. But since our recent success the love of Afghani people has increased and we are expected to put up a good show,” said Afghanistan team skipper Nawroz Mangal while speaking to journalists.
Wicketkeeper batsman http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Mohammad-Shahzad-c77324 made similar observations, pointing out that while the Afghan public were unfamiliar with the more technical aspects of the sport, cricket had been embraced with much zeal, with fans expecting nothing less than stellar performances from the team.
“After the World T20 in Caribbean we learned a lot and hopefully we learn a lot here too,” said Shahzad. “There were big celebrations in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745 when we qualified for the World T20 two years ago. People want us to sort of win every time we compete. The understanding of the game back at home is probably not the greatest, but the passion for the game is big.”
Among the ICC’s top Associate/Affiliate Members, Afghanistan’s foray into cricket has been a difficult but inspiring journey. The sport made its way into the war-torn country via refugees who had learnt the game in neighbouring Pakistan before introducing it in their own country.
Since then, Afghanistan have gone on to play a total of 23 ODIs (out of which they have won 12, earning ODI status which is valid until 2013), and 11 T20s (out of which they have won 6). In addition, the team has been experiencing exciting new developments in 2012.
In the one-day format of the game, Afghanistan played their first two ODIs against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Beau-Casson-c47541 back home.
On the T20 front, the Afghanistan team managed to qualify, yet again, for the World Twenty20 2012. Their first qualification for the event came during the 2009-2010 edition of the tournament – however, the team lost both of their initial two matches, against India and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, and were subsequently knocked out of the competition.
This time around, however, the team has raised the bar, and goes into the tournament after having won 8 of their 9 matches from the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, in addition to having won the Trinidad Quadrangular T20 series they recently played against their host team, Barbados, and a http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bangladesh-c747 Cricket Board XI.
The Afghan team has been placed in Group A for the upcoming tournament, alongside heavyweights India and England, and will be playing two warm-up matches, against the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013 on September 21.
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