Pune, India – As Afghanistan trained and prepared for their World Cup campaign, their coach repeatedly hammered an idea into their collective consciousness: You are not in India to make up the numbers, you’re here to beat other teams, no matter their reputation.
Jonathan Trott’s mantra for his squad may seem simple but Afghanistan’s progress in the tournament, winning four matches after losing their first two games against Bangladesh and India, is as much a product of the players internalising that belief as it is a reflection of their cricketing skills.
