T20 Cricket: Pak Vs Afg; Divergent Paths

T20 Cricket: Pak Vs Afg ; Divergent Paths

Twenty20 (T20) is a shortened game format of cricket. In a Twenty20 game, the two teams have a single innings each, which is restricted to a maximum of twenty overs. It started in England by ECB in 2003 for the inter-county competition. The ICC Men's T20 World Cup (formerly the ICC World Twenty20) is the Twenty20 International cricket tournament. Pakistan and Afghanistan are also playing this type of cricket. This opinion has been written based on the performance of both teams in ongoing " The ICC Men's T20 World Cup".  

The Afg cricket team has achieved a historic feat by reaching the semi-finals of the T20 WC 2024, which is currently being played in the USA. This remarkable performance is a testament to the team's consistent progress and their ability to compete at the highest lvl of the sport.

A closer look at their stats in the tournament so far reveals the key factors behind their success:

Most Runs

1. R Gurbaz - 281 runs

3. I Zadran - 229 runs

Most Wickets

1. F Farooqi - 16 

3. Rashid Khan - 14

5. Naveen-ul-Haq - 13

Best Bowling Figures

1. F Farooqi - 5/9

Bowling Average

3. Ghulam Nabi - 5.57

Most 50s

1. R Gurbaz - 3

2. I Zadran - 2

5-Wkt Haul

1. F Farooqi - 1

Most Sixes

2. R Gurbaz - 16

Most Fours

1. I Zadran - 25

5. R Gurbaz - 18

Most Boundaries

2. R Gurbaz - 34

5. I Zadran - 29

These stats paint a pic of a well-rounded Afg team, with standout performers in both batting and bowling. Players like Gurbaz, Zadran, Farooqi and the ever-reliable Rashid Khan have been the driving force behind Afg's remarkable campaign.

The key factors behind this success seem to be a strong focus on meritocracy, eff team ldrship, unity & teamwork, an aggressive and offensive apch & a cmt to fitness & performance-based sel. This apch has helped Afg overcome the challenges of playing in a high-pressure tournament like the T20 WC.

On the other hand our team currently lacks a merit-based sel process, eff ldrship, unity, teamwork, phy & psy fitness, consistency, an offensivel apch & the will to fight. This list of deficiencies is extensive....

It is time for PCB to thoroughly study the underlying causes of this dismal sit rather fiasco. The sel procedure should be based on merit, starting from the top posns. The team reqs more psy trg than just phy trg.

The PCB should implement a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) policy for player contracts and payments. Similar to the corporate sec, the players' remuneration should be tied to their KPIs. 

As a final suggestion, the PCB could consider forming a T20 team solely from the KPK & Bln provinces. The ppl of these regions are known for their aggressive & assertive nature, which is a desirable quality for the fast-paced T20 format.

As Afg cont to make strides in the intl cricket arena, it is time for Pak to take note and learn from their example. The future looks incredibly bright for Afg cricket & they will undoubtedly be a team to watch out for in the yrs to come.

Lt Col Abrar Khan (Retd)

📧: khanabrar30c@gmail.com

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