New Delhi, Mar 1 Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn backed Afghanistan after their performance in the ongoing Champions Trophy and believes it’s only a matter of time before they lift an ICC trophy. However, he urged Afghanistan’s players to develop more patience in their approach to sustain success in major tournaments.
Steyn’s remarks came after Afghanistan’s campaign at the Champions Trophy 2025 ended in disappointment. Despite a thrilling victory over England in Lahore, their loss to South Africa and no result due to rain against Australia on Friday night saw them likely to miss out on a knockout berth.
However, they have an outside chance if England beat South Africa by a margin of 270 runs in Saturday's match, then by Net Run Rate (NRR) Afghanistan can qualify. If South Africa beat England, the Proteas will qualify for the semifinals as the top-ranked team from Group B.
"Back in the day, a lot of players would go play county cricket or first-class cricket to improve their skills and patience," ESPNcricinfo quoted Steyn as saying.
"But in today’s fast-paced world, patience is in short supply. Even on social media, people struggle to watch a two-second clip. It feels like the Afghanistan players are the same when they play their cricket."
Steyn noted that Afghanistan’s aggressive style, while thrilling to watch, sometimes works against them. "They want things to happen so quickly—every ball must be a wicket; every shot must be a six. There’s so much movement at the crease in the first over itself. While T20 cricket has helped them develop skills and earn good money, they need to balance that with playing more four-day games. ODI cricket is essentially a shortened Test match, and patience is key. If they work on that, I have no doubt they can win an ICC tournament within the next decade," he added.
Afghanistan's performance in the Champions Trophy showcased both their promise and their inconsistencies. Ibrahim Zadran’s majestic 177 against England was a standout, but opener Sediqullah Atal couldn’t convert his 85 against Australia into a bigger score. Their top three have yet to fire collectively, and star batter Rahmanullah Gurbaz endured a forgettable tournament, scoring just 16 runs in three innings.
Wasim Jaffer, another admirer of Afghanistan’s rise, echoed similar concerns. "They’ve played a T20 World Cup semi-final, they’ve beaten top teams, and when they beat anybody, it’s not an upset anymore," Jaffer said. "But they struggle to start tournaments well, and in a short competition, one bad start can end your chances. Their middle order, particularly Nos. 3, 4, and 5, needs more consistency. Rahmat Shah and Hashmatullah Shahidi must take greater responsibility, while Gurbaz had an off tournament at the worst possible time."
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