Bangladesh has been playing international cricket for more than three decades, whereas Afghanistan has been around the top-flight of the arena for barely a decade.
Still, if the performances of the teams in the current Twenty20 series, which Afghanistan sealed with its second successive emphatic win on Tuesday is taken into account, the younger Asian subcontinental team has certainly outshone its senior from Bangladesh in all departments.
Superior unit
In both the T20s, Afghanistan emerged a superior unit on all counts.
Be it getting a hang of the conditions, pacing the innings, executing the big hits, bowling to the field or bowling changes, Bangladesh has lacked far behind its opponent.
As a result, Thursday’s last of the three matches has been rendered meaningless with Afghanistan snatching a six-wicket win and sealing the series on Tuesday.
Excelling on all counts
While Bangladesh struggled to get its act together, Afghanistan has excelled on all counts.
In fact, so formidable have Asghar Stanikzai’s stallions been that they have served a warning to the top teams in the world in the shortest format. Burly hitter Shafiqullah didn’t hold himself back in stressing on T20 cricket being “Afghanistan’s forte” before adding it “can beat any top team in the world in T20”.
With the next edition of the World Twenty20 almost two years away, Afghanistan can certainly emerge as a force to reckon with by the time time the teams square off Down Under in 2020.
Bigger challenge
Before that, however, Afghanistan has a bigger challenge in the 2019 World Cup, to be played in England.
Shafiqullah conceded that the team’s maiden World Cup outing in 2015 wasn’t memorable, but was optimistic the players “would be more confident having gained confidence and exposure last time.”
While Afghanistan appears unstoppable, Bangladesh seems to be in a riddle that the team has found itself in for most of its cricket sojourn.
The last rubber of the series may be a meaningless affair but for Bangladesh it would be a huge match from the team’s and a few individuals’ perspective.
A win will give Shakib Al Hasan’s men something to cheer about on the way home but a series whitewash will result in the team stooping to a new nadir in white-ball cricket.
The scores:
Bangladesh 134 for eight in 20 overs (Tamim Iqbal 43, Rashid Khan four for 12, Mohammad Nabi two for 19) lost to Afghanistan 135 for four in 18.5 overs (Mohammad Shahzad 24, Samiullah Shenwari 49, Mohammad Nabi 31 n.o., Mosaddek Hossain two for 21) .
