Afghanistan National Cricket Team represents their country on an international cricket stage as an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC).
“Established in 1995, this team made its inaugural World Cup qualifier appearance in 2009, finishing second and earning official ODI status in the Afghanistan National Cricket Team Vs Australian Men‚äôs Cricket Team Match Scorecard.”
On 22 June 2017 Afghanistan were granted full membership in the International Cricket Council (ICC), permitting them to play Test cricket.
| Date | Tournament & Venue | Afghanistan Score | Australia Score | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 Feb 2025 | ICC Champions Trophy, Lahore | 273/10 (50 ov) | 109/1 (12.5 ov) | No Result (rain abandoned) (Cricket Team Match Scorecard) |
| 22 Jun 2024 | ICC T20 World Cup, Kingstown | 148/6 (20 ov) | 127 all out (19.2 ov) | Afghanistan won by 21 runs (Cricket Team Match Scorecard) |
| 07 Nov 2023 | ICC World Cup (ODI), Mumbai | 291/5 (50 ov) | 293/7 (46.5 ov) | Australia won by 3 wickets (Cricket Team Match Scorecard) |
| 01 Jun 2019 | ICC World Cup (ODI), Bristol | 207 all out (50 ov) | 209/3 (34.5 ov) | Australia won by 7 wickets (Cricket Team Match Scorecard) |
| 04 Mar 2015 | ICC World Cup (ODI), Perth | 142 all out (37.3 ov) | 417/6 (50 ov) | Australia won by 275 runs (Cricket Team Match Scorecard) |
Afghanistan vs Australia
After suffering an embarrassing defeat against South Africa in their opening match, Australia will be keen to make amends by taking on Afghanistan in Lahore tomorrow.
They could make up ground on Group B leaders South Africa by topping their group, while Afghans need help from England relegating South Africa and qualifying for semi-finals themselves.
Afghanistan may still be mired in war, violence and political unrest; yet their national cricket team continues to flourish despite all this turmoil.
Men’s cricket in particular has gone from minnow to powerhouse status thanks to success at international competitions; providing much-needed pride and momentum for an emerging democracy still trying to build an effective government.
At the 2021 ICC World Cup Qualifier tournament, England beat Pakistan, Ireland and Sri Lanka comfortably while narrowly missing out on qualifying for finals.
At 2023’s ODI World Cup tournament they defeated England South Africa Sri Lanka as well, coming close to qualifying for semi-finals but falling just short.
In 2016, Afghanistan embarked on a historic tour to Bangladesh and UAE for three One Day Internationals against full member teams other than Zimbabwe – marking their inaugural bilateral series outside Zimbabwe.
In June 2017, they made their Test debut, drawing with West Indies while winning both matches against Sri Lanka. A year later, they completed an unblemished sweep against New Zealand and India to capture their inaugural ODI series win.
Home of Afghan Cricket Team The Sharjah Cricket Stadium in United Arab Emirates also hosts Champions Trophy tournament. Seating 20,000 spectators, it is currently Asia’s second-largest cricket venue.
As part of an effort to increase popularity for cricket in Afghanistan, Afghan Cricket Board announced in early 2023 they would construct another stadium – estimated to hold up to 40,000 spectators – within Kabul capital city that will house international Twenty20 and T20I tournament matches as part of Champions Trophy competition.
Afghanistan vs New Zealand
Australian players are eager to get back in the swing after suffering defeat against South Africa and qualify for the semi-finals.
Afghanistan poses a formidable opponent with their spinners impressing against England; hopefully rain won’t spoil this match and Afghan will give their all to beat Australia.
The team’s success amid violence and uncertainty reflects Pakistan’s broader socioeconomic renaissance. Many of its members hail from refugee camps in Pakistan where Afghan exiles honed their cricketing skills during their exodus from Afghanistan in the 1980s and 90s through informal tape-ball cricket games; this provided an effective merit-based pipeline which prioritized talent over patronage; it even enabled superstars like Rashid Khan to rise from poor backgrounds like poverty-stricken roots through merit alone!
Earnings from leagues such as IPL have also directly alleviated family hardships thus magnifying sport’s social impact even further beyond its field playing surface.
Afghanistan only played two Tests since becoming a Full member in 2013, yet their success in T20Is (winning multiple World Cup games and reaching the semi-final in 2024) has made an impressionful statement about Afghanistan as an associate nation.
Their players are widely seen as entertaining and thrilling to watch; victories elicit mass street celebrations that defy Taliban restrictions on public elations.
Mohammad Nabi leads Bangladesh in T20I runscoring and Rashid Khan leads in wicket taking. These successes have given rise to hope that they may advance further in Test cricket; however, political unrest and limited home fixtures have proven insurmountable obstacles for further advancement.
However, their resilience and talent has provided morale support for a country facing insecurity and economic difficulties.
Cricket serves as a powerful symbol of national unity. Afghanistan’s 2023 One Day International victory against England generated widespread public screenings, along with its subsequent celebration.
Cricket has proven its capacity to bridge political differences within an otherwise fragile state, unifying and inspiring Afghans of all ethnicities, religions and political affiliation.
Afghanistan vs Pakistan
Afghanistan is poised to make the leap from emerging nation status into regular Test nation status thanks to their blend of talent and perseverance. Their cricket board has established an infrastructure for supporting cricket, with more youngsters taking up the sport.
Afghanistan was one of the first emerging nations to secure its spot as a Test nation through consistent performance; unlike other emerging nations who waited longer before receiving their debut Test match invitation.
Hashmatullah Shahidi and his team have seen impressive progress during this century of international cricket. Afghanistan was one of only three non-Test nations to qualify for 2016 ICC World Twenty20 tournament and managed to shock England in their group stage match!
Additionally, they participated in 2024 ICC Cricket World Cup, winning one match against Hong Kong before reaching the semi finals – testament to his leadership as Hashmatullah Shahidi has established himself as a formidable presence.
Afghanistan has enjoyed significant success due to a series of innovative strategies. In 2021, Afghanistan became the first nation to sign a multi-million dollar sponsorship deal with the Indian Premier League – this gave a great boost to Afghan players as they gained greater exposure and incomes thanks to IPL money; helping their families back home as well as contributing positively to its image.
Afghan cricket board has established partnerships with global sportswear companies to source equipment for their national side and to sponsor it financially.
This has resulted in significant improvement to their kits; each piece designed to make players look their best and inspire a younger generation of Afghan cricketers.
International cricket between Australia and Afghanistan may have been suspended, due to human rights concerns in Afghanistan; however, tournament play between both teams continues unabated.
Australia appeared set for victory during an ODI against India but were forced into a draw following Glenn Maxwell’s six-wicket innings at Mumbai. Australia will likely stick with their same squad for Lahore including spinners Adam Zampa and Marnus Labuschagne who have proven highly effective against Afghan batsmen.
Afghanistan vs South Africa
Cricket has become one of Afghanistan’s most beloved sports. Originating in refugee camps in Pakistan in the 1980s and ’90s, its popularity spread among Afghan youth after conflict ended and led to the formation of the Afghanistan Cricket Board in 1995, later joining the International Cricket Council (ICC) affiliate member club as an affiliate member in 2001.
Success at international tournaments has further cemented popular support, often sparking street celebrations that defy Taliban restrictions as well as providing salaries through leagues like IPL. [1]
Afghani team have enjoyed an improved campaign at this tournament under Hashmatullah Shahidi and are unbeaten after three matches so far. Faisal and Khalid’s powerful batting duo is giving South Africa fits.
South Africa now depends on a win against England if they want to avoid relegation; otherwise, Afghanistan could overtake them on net run-rate and finish lower than third place on their run rate table.
Afghanistan’s top order includes some talented batsmen, such as Mohammad Nabi and Asghar Stanikzai – two players who lead in run scoring and wicket taking for both ODIs and T20Is respectively. Their partnership has been pivotal to recent Afghan success, and will likely play an integral part in progressing them to the semi-finals.
Afghanistan’s bowlers boast an imposing combination of spin and seam bowlers who honed their skills in dusty refugee camp pitches in Pakistan during war years, exploiting turning conditions effectively to compete with full-member test nations. Fast bowlers such as Zahir Ahmad and Mohammad Asghar both rank highly for wickets taken this year in one-day internationals (ODIs).
Furthermore, Afghanistan boasts numerous talented batsmen like Uzairullah Niazai and Jorich van Schalkwyk amongst them – combined with efficient tail performers, these players have put the Proteas off-guard and should make for an intriguing matchup! This should make for some interesting viewing!