From Hype to Heartbreak: Where Is Afghanistan Falling Short in ICC Tournaments?

The world of cricket has seen several small teams making it big at the international level, leaving an impact on the field. Some Asian countries are counted among the best cricket teams in the world, one of them is the Afghanistan cricket team, which is regarded as the best team with quality spinners and brutal batters. But, if we see the team in the current scenario, they have been struggling a lot in international cricket.

The Rise of Afghanistan: From Underdogs to Contenders

The Afghanistan cricket team has always produced some of the greatest talents in the world of cricket. This team has gone through ups and downs, but has made a name for itself with an impactful game. There was a rise in Afghanistan cricket over the years from being the underdogs to strong contenders in the game. Afghanistan ICC performances were appreciated initially when they used to play exceptionally well against big teams, like during the ICC World Cup 2023, where they almost reached semi-finals by defeating the best teams.

Struggling Phase for Afghanistan Cricket Team

Afghanistan World Cup struggles and a rough phase can be seen post the ICC World Cup 2023, where they played well. However, if we see the team’s performance in the ICC tournaments post that, including ICC T20 World Cup 2024 and ICC Champions Trophy 2025, the team didn’t meet the expectations.

Moreover, Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2026 performance could also be seen as below average, as there were more expectations from the team, considering the sub-continent conditions of the pitch, which suit the Afghan bowling line-up. This clearly indicates that Afghanistan ICC performance has dipped a lot in recent years, and the team needs to work on its basics to bounce back well in the upcoming ICC Event.

What Must Change Before the Next ICC Event?

The Afghanistan T20 World Cup 2026 campaign should be an eye-opener for the team before going to the next ICC event, which is the ICC World Cup 2027, scheduled to take place in later that year. The Afghanistan Cricket Team should work on role clarity among the team to get back on track. The Afghanistan World Cup struggles can also be tackled with squad depth and long-term planning for the players in the squad. There is no doubt it is power packed team and will be doing wonders in the future with high potential team. The current head coach, Jonathan Trott, will also be ending his association with the team post the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, allowing the management to revamp from the scratch and have a fresh start.