NEW DELHI: Asghar Afghan, the former captain of Afghanistan, praised Rashid Khan's exceptional leadership skills, calling him the 'Captain of the tournament' on Wednesday.
He credited Afghanistan's remarkable performance in the current T20 World Cup to the team's exposure to challenging pitches in international cricket and various leagues worldwide.
By securing a victory against Bangladesh on Tuesday, Afghanistan achieved a historic milestone, advancing to their first-ever T20 World Cup semifinal.
The team from the war-torn country has showcased outstanding skills throughout the tournament, defeating New Zealand in the group stage and outplaying Australia in the super 8 stage.
"I feel Rashid has been the captain of the tournament. He has led by example. He has been an inspirational captain, a match-winner with the ball, and very effective with the bat," Afghan, who won 42 of the 52 T20Is that Afghanistan competed under his leadership, told PTI Videos.
"Most importantly, he has been able to get the best out of his players. And this has been one of the major reasons for Afghanistan reaching the semis. When I was captain of the Afghan team in 2017, he was the vice-captain and he showed leadership skills then as well."
Afghanistan is set to face South Africa in the first semi-final match, which will take place in Tarouba, Trinidad on Thursday.
"If you ask me, what has been the number one reason (behind Afghanistan's success), I would say this team's exposure to international cricket and T20 Leagues all over the world throughout the year," he said.
"They have been playing in very difficult wickets and that have given them the knowledge, experience and technical know-how to deal with tough wickets in the USA and the Caribbean."
Asghar, who led Afghanistan in their historic first Test match against India in 2018 and their maiden Test victory against Ireland the following year, commended the opening duo for their crucial contributions to the team's triumphant campaign.
The skipper lauded Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Ibrahim Zadran, recognising their instrumental role in Afghanistan's impressive performance throughout the competition. Their solid partnership at the top of the order laid the foundation for the team's success.
"They are the most successful opening pair of the tournament scoring a maximum number of runs. While Gurbaz is the leading run-scorer, Zadran is at number 3 (in the list).
"Moreover, they always gave Afghanistan a rollicking start to help the team post a formidable total or chase down stiff targets," he observed.
Fazalhaq Farooqi, an Afghan pacer, currently tops the list of wicket-takers with an impressive tally of 17 wickets. His compatriot, the renowned spinner Rashid Khan, occupies the third spot, having claimed 15 wickets in the tournament so far.
Another Afghan bowler, Naveen ul Haq, has also made his mark, securing the fifth position on the chart with 13 wickets to his name. The strong performance of these three Afghan bowlers highlights their significant impact and effectiveness in the ongoing competition.
"Farooqi, Naveen, and Rashid have taken 45 wickets combined. This is amazing. Afghans are dominating the batting and bowling charts. They are getting crucial wickets at crucial times and have been game-changers.
"Even Noor Ahmad has been a phenomenon. This team is looking very dangerous and has the potential to pull up more victories and stun the world," he signed off.
