Afghanistan are on the verge of qualifying for the 2023 World Cup semifinals. Just 15 years ago, no one would have thought that a team from that part of the world would make it big in the cricket world. They first came on the grand stage in T20 World Cup 2010, and from 2015 onwards, they have been a part of every ODI World Cup.
The rise of Afghanistan has been majorly due to the players’ exposure in overseas leagues as well as the talent possessed by them. Things like Test status, Asia Cup and bilateral cricket against Test-playing nations has further helped them. It shows that many teams can become better in cricket if given more chances. Here’s a list of five such teams who can become the next to rise like Afghanis.
1. Namibia can rise like Afghanistan
Namibia has been quite impressive in the last two T20 World Cups. They have some quality left-arm pacers and a game-changer in David Wiese. More exposure can help them improve a lot.
2. Nepal can rise like Afghanistan
Nepal seems to be a cricket crazy nation. There are lots of talents emerging from Nepal, with Sandeep Lamichhane making it big. More exposure can benefit Nepal a lot.
3. Hong Kong
Hong Kong showed their potential in the 2018 Asia Cup match against India. They have participated in Asia Cups, but they have not received any opportunities in bilateral series.
4. UAE
UAE played a series against New Zealand this year and defeated them in a match. It shows that there is a lot of craze for cricket and talent in UAE. Proper exposure can take them to a whole new level.
5. Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea made it to the T20 World Cup 2021 and will also play in T20 World Cup 2024. They are home to some talented cricketers, and the number can increase with better exposure.
