Sport
Afghan cricket team gears up for T20 World Cup
Afghanistan’s T20 cricket squad held a training session in Kabul on Tuesday ahead of the T20 World Cup, which takes place in the UAE and Oman in October and November.
“Our aim will be to gain something from this (World Cup), not just participate in it. The boys are also very excited, and are eager to do very well in these matches,” said player Sharafuddin Ashraf.
The 16-team tournament was originally scheduled to take place in India but was moved to the Gulf states as result of a surge of COVID-19 infections in India, but the Indian cricket board (BCCI) remains the event host.
Preliminary rounds are due to be played in Oman, with group stages and the knockout rounds taking place in the UAE.
Despite being relative newcomers to international cricket, Afghanistan has already qualified for the main part of the competition, where they will line up alongside the likes of Australia, England, India and Pakistan.
“The morale of the players is very high. The boys are also very enthusiastic. Our people have very high expectations from us,” said coach Nowroz Mangal.
