Dale Steyn Confident Afghanistan Will Claim ICC Trophy Within a Decade, Calls for Patience
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Synopsis
Dale Steyn believes Afghanistan is on the verge of winning an ICC trophy within the next decade but stresses the importance of patience in their approach. Despite their inconsistent performance in the Champions Trophy, there’s potential for future success with a more balanced strategy.
Key Takeaways
- Dale Steyn supports Afghanistan's potential for ICC success.
- Patience is critical for players to achieve tournament success.
- Afghanistan's aggressive style can hinder their performance.
- Consistency in the middle order is essential.
- Afghanistan has shown promise but needs to balance T20 and longer formats.
New Delhi, Mar 1 (NationPress) Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn expressed his confidence in Afghanistan following their efforts in the ongoing Champions Trophy, stating that it’s merely a question of time before they secure an ICC trophy. Nevertheless, he emphasized the necessity for Afghanistan's players to cultivate greater patience in their strategies to achieve lasting success in significant tournaments.
Steyn’s comments followed Afghanistan’s unsatisfactory run at the Champions Trophy 2025. Despite a remarkable victory against England in Lahore, their defeat to South Africa and a rain-affected match against Australia on Friday night have jeopardized their chances of reaching the knockout stage.
They still hold a slim possibility of advancing if England can triumph over South Africa by 270 runs on Saturday, enabling them to qualify through Net Run Rate (NRR). Conversely, if South Africa wins against England, they will secure the semifinals as the top-ranked team from Group B.
“In the past, many players participated in county or first-class cricket to enhance their skills and patience,” ESPNcricinfo quoted Steyn. “However, in today’s rapid-paced environment, patience is increasingly rare. Even on social media, individuals find it challenging to watch a clip lasting two seconds. It appears that Afghanistan's players reflect this same urgency in their cricket.”
Steyn remarked that while Afghanistan’s dynamic playing style is exciting, it can sometimes hinder their performance. “They desire immediate results—every ball must yield a wicket; every shot must be a six. There’s excessive movement at the crease even in the opening over. Although T20 cricket has helped them enhance their skills and earn substantial rewards, they must find equilibrium with more four-day matches. ODI cricket is essentially a condensed version of Test matches, where patience is crucial. If they focus on this, I am certain they can clinch an ICC tournament within the next decade,” he added.
Afghanistan's journey in the Champions Trophy highlighted both their potential and inconsistencies. Ibrahim Zadran’s impressive 177 against England was a highlight, yet opener Sediqullah Atal failed to convert his 85 against Australia into a more significant score. Their top three batsmen have yet to perform cohesively, with star player Rahmanullah Gurbaz struggling, managing only 16 runs across three innings.
Wasim Jaffer, another supporter of Afghanistan’s development, shared similar observations. “They’ve reached a T20 World Cup semifinals, they’ve triumphed over leading teams, and beating any team is no longer considered an upset,” Jaffer noted. “However, they often falter at the start of tournaments, and in a short format, a poor beginning can be detrimental. Their middle order, particularly positions 3, 4, and 5, requires more consistency. Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi must shoulder greater responsibility while Gurbaz encountered a poor tournament performance at the most critical time.”
