Exclusive: Former Head Coach Hails Afghanistan’s Progress and the Evolution of Ibrahim Zadran

Afghanistan has reintroduced excitement to ODI cricket with its vibrant style of play. 

Their recent victory over England in the ICC Champions Trophy, featuring Ibrahim Zadran as the top scorer with 177 runs off 146 balls, showcases their growth. 

This win is Afghanistan's second over England; the first was during the 2023 ODI World Cup, where they defeated Pakistan and Sri Lanka and nearly beat Australia.

Despite not qualifying for the Champions Trophy knockout stage, the future looks bright with young talents like Zadran and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who scored 41 and took 5/58 against England, followed by a quick 67 against Australia, which was affected by rain.

Former South Africa all-rounder Lance Klusener, who coached Afghanistan from 2019 to 2021, felt the players took cues from franchise cricket, and it shaped them into good travellers. 

"The rise of Afghanistan is because of untapped talent in the country. They have been playing in franchise leagues [such as the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League, SA20, Bangladesh Premier League et al]. And that's where the growth has been. The players had that opportunity. They applied those learnings in international cricket. They were doing well in T20 cricket, and now the ODIs," he told Sportsboom.com. 

No home ground, no problem

Afghanistan lacks a home ground, playing in Dehradun, Lucknow, and Greater Noida in India before moving to the UAE. 

They've adapted well in the last three ICC tournaments held in the West Indies, India, and the UAE. 

"They haven't been able to play a game at home. God willing, maybe they can do that in the future. There is a possible factor that travelling well and being able to fly and play has made them stronger as players," added Klusener, who saw Zadran from close quarters when he made his debut as a teenager.

Zadran has six centuries and seven fifties in 36 matches for Afghanistan, averaging 50.18. Before his impressive performance against England, he scored an unbeaten 129 against Australia in the ODI World Cup 2023. 

"Zadran is different from a traditional Afghan batter, who would only deal in fours and sixes. He is more technical, like Rahmat Shah. His ability to defend and rotate the strike was always there. As he has grown a little bit stronger, he has been able to take more advantage of the bad balls. With the talent he has got, and with some of the leagues he has played, he has developed his game."

Too early to compare Zadran with Kohli or Azam

A few experts and fans have started to compare Zadran with Virat Kohli and Babar Azam. 

"It is too early to say if we can compare his temperament with the great players. But he is certainly a work in progress. As his game grows in white-ball cricket, we will see, but he is calm, has a good game plan and the ingredients are there to compare to one of those great batters one day," said Klusener under whom the Afghans won one out of the three Tests, three out of the six ODIs and nine out of 14 T20Is.

Afghanistan has won matches but hasn't yet succeeded in an ICC event. Klusener believes this will change as the team has progressed from qualifying for tournaments to making an impact in them. 

"They play a high-risk brand of cricket, which makes it exciting. People want to watch them for that, and high-risk cricket sometimes may not be as consistent as you would like. They are entertaining to watch as they have world-class players."

South Africa Success No Surprise

Klusener expected South Africa to continue the momentum they have shown in white-ball cricket. 

"South Africa has been reasonably consistent after playing the T20 World Cup final, and they have done well in Pakistan. They have a few senior players who have played together for a long time. I saw them in the semifinals, and now, we need a bit of luck and magic from somebody to get us over the line," he signed off.