SHARJAH, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES:
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan says his crew haven’t any “particular targets” regardless of producing groundbreaking performances in latest ICC international occasions, forward of a T20 worldwide tri-series beginning Friday.
Rashid’s males face Pakistan within the opening recreation in Sharjah, with the United Arab Emirates the opposite aspect collaborating within the occasion which serves as a warm-up for subsequent month’s Asia Cup, additionally within the UAE.
Afghanistan reached the semi-finals of final 12 months’s T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, and narrowly missed out on reaching the final 4 on the ODI Champions Trophy in Pakistan earlier in 2025.
These performances adopted a powerful displaying on the 2023 one-day World Cup, when the Afghans produced assertion wins over England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
“We do not need particular targets, and we don’t need to put further strain on our gamers,” Rashid mentioned Thursday when requested if Afghanistan are concentrating on the Asia Cup title.
“Our goal is to play the model of cricket we have now performed through the years.”
“For us the primary goal is to place in 200 % effort on the bottom.”
“I believe we have now been doing nicely within the ICC occasions and though we have not performed T20I cricket over the previous few months, the fellows have been taking part in in T20 leagues around the globe and that has helped.”
Afghanistan beat Pakistan 2-1 in a T20I collection on the similar venue in 2023.
The 16-man Afghan squad for the tri-series consists of fast-rising thriller spinner AM Ghazanfar together with fellow spin bowlers Noor Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Rashid.
The Asia Cup will get underneath method on September 9, as groups ramp up their preparations for the 2026 T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
Opposite to Afghanistan, Pakistan’s fortunes are dipping after they crashed out of the final T20 World Cup within the group stage earlier than failing to win a match on the Champions Trophy.
This 12 months they misplaced a T20 collection in Bangladesh 2-1 however overcame the West Indies by the identical margin.
Below new captain Salman Agha, Pakistan are going by way of a transition with former skippers Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan out of the T20 squad.
“We try to construct a crew and this tri-series after which the Asia Cup might be alternative to realize that,” mentioned Agha.
“We all know each these occasions might be difficult however we’re prepared.”
All three groups within the tri-series will play one another twice, with the highest two to face off in a closing on September 7.
Moreover Afghanistan, Pakistan and the UAE, the Asia Cup will even embody defending champions India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Oman and Hong Kong.
