Dale Steyn expressed confidence that Afghanistan could win an ICC tournament in the next decade with increased patience in their gameplay. Despite a thrilling victory over England, they fell short in the Champions Trophy 2025, losing to South Africa and struggling against Australia. Steyn emphasized the need for players to develop patience, as current trends favor quick results, often seen in T20 formats. Wasim Jaffer acknowledged Afghanistan’s growth but noted issues in their batting lineup and tournament performance. Struggles in consistency, particularly among key players, hindered their success, highlighting the need for improvement in future competitions.
“In the past, many players would participate in county cricket,” Steyn remarked, “or engage in first-class competitions to enhance their skills and cultivate their patience. Nowadays, it seems that players lack the necessary patience. We can barely watch two seconds of an Instagram story, and it feels like the players from Afghanistan exhibit similar behavior during their matches.”
“They desire immediate results. This ball needs to be a wicket, with no patience for setting it up. Occasionally, the batters echo this urgency, trying to make an impact from the opening over, exhibiting excessive movement in the crease, aiming for boundaries, and pushing the pace of the game.”
“While playing T20 cricket globally is beneficial for their financial gain and learning experience, spending more time in four-day formats could be advantageous. One-day cricket, in essence, is a condensed version of Test cricket, incorporating elements of T20. However, patience is a crucial skill that Afghanistan players must develop, and once they master it, there’s no doubt they could achieve ICC tournament victories within the next decade.”
“Afghanistan is on the rise,” Jaffer stated. “We must commend them for reaching the semi-finals [at the 2024 T20 World Cup] and for defeating strong teams. Now, beating anyone is no longer viewed as an upset. Therefore, we can anticipate impressive performances from Afghanistan.”
“They will be disheartened by their lackluster start in the opening match. In a brief tournament, making a strong beginning is crucial, as opportunities are limited. A single loss could result in elimination, as seen here.”
“Their batting requires improvement as well. They are often described as not being strong in chase situations. Their middle order, including Nos. 3, 4, and 5, needs to step up. Although Atal performed well today, Rahmat Shah must find more consistency; he scored 90 in the first game, while [Hashmatullah] Shahidi struggled today, and Gurbaz, a key player, had a disappointing tournament. This is where they fell short this time around.”