Last Updated on March 1, 2025 by Disha Rojhe
March 1, 2025: Afghanistan’s steady rise in international cricket has attracted the attention of several cricketing greats, including former South African pacer Dale Steyn, who believes that the Afghan team could win an ICC tournament within the next decade. However, Steyn emphasized the importance of patience for the team, both individually and collectively, for this dream to materialize.
Afghanistan displayed their potential during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy with an exhilarating win over England in Lahore. Despite this, their chances of reaching the semi-finals were dashed after an opening defeat to South Africa and a rain-affected match against Australia.
Steyn pointed out that in previous years, cricketers would improve their skills by playing county or first-class cricket, which gave them the patience needed for success. In today’s fast-paced world, where even watching a two-second Instagram story seems like too much, Steyn believes the Afghanistan players lack the patience required for success in international cricket.
He explained, “The Afghanistan players want things to happen too quickly. Whether it’s taking a wicket or batting aggressively in the first over, there’s a rush to finish the job. This impatience is something that needs to change.” Steyn further added that Afghanistan’s exposure to T20 cricket around the world has helped them, but playing longer formats like four-day games could help them develop the patience needed for success in one-day cricket, which he described as a shorter version of a Test match.
Steyn is confident that once Afghanistan learns the art of patience, they will be well-positioned to win ICC tournaments in the next decade.
Former Indian batter Wasim Jaffer also lauded Afghanistan’s progress on the global stage but identified areas in which they need improvement. Jaffer highlighted Afghanistan’s tendency to start tournaments slowly and their fragile batting lineup as areas of concern.
While Ibrahim Zadran’s brilliant 177 against England brought Afghanistan a famous victory, the inconsistency in the top order remained a problem. Players like Sediqullah Atal showed promise with a knock of 85 against Australia but struggled to convert starts into big scores. Even star batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz had an underwhelming tournament, scoring only 16 runs across three games.
Jaffer remarked, “Afghanistan are on the rise, and beating good teams is no longer an upset. They’ve shown that they can compete at the highest level.” However, he pointed out the need for the Afghan batting line-up to step up, especially the middle order, which has been inconsistent. While Atal impressed, key players like Rahmat Shah, Hashmatullah Shahidi, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz need to improve their performances if Afghanistan hopes to compete consistently at the highest level.
Despite these areas for improvement, both Steyn and Jaffer believe that Afghanistan’s trajectory is promising. With more patience and consistency, the team has the potential to become a dominant force in world cricket in the coming years.
