New Delhi: Former India batter Ajay Jadeja highlighted Afghanistan’s impressive rise in international cricket while speaking to former Pakistan captain Waqar Younis. He pointed out that Afghanistan has won more matches than Pakistan in the last three ICC events, emphasizing that their victories are not mere upsets but a reflection of their growing dominance on the global stage.
After Afghanistan’s stunning victory over England, which eliminated the defending champions from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, their head coach Jonathan Trott asserted that no team would take Afghanistan lightly anymore. Referring to this statement, Waqar Younis, during Ten Sports’ special Champions Trophy show *Dressing Room*, asked legendary pacer Wasim Akram if Afghanistan could realistically defeat Australia in their upcoming clash in Lahore on Friday to secure a spot in the semi-finals.
“Absolutely,” responded Wasim Akram confidently. The former Pakistan captain praised Afghanistan’s all-round performance in their thrilling eight-run victory over England. He highlighted how Ibrahim Zadran anchored the innings after early setbacks and how Afghanistan’s bowlers defended a target of 320 despite challenging conditions with a wet ball due to dew. Akram acknowledged that while Australia has the ability to dominate, if Afghanistan plays at their best, they are capable of defeating any team in the world.
Ajay Jadeja, also part of the panel, took the opportunity to highlight Afghanistan’s impressive record in ICC events, reminding everyone that they have outperformed Pakistan in recent tournaments. “They have won more games than your team, my friend, in ICC events. Anybody who thinks it’s a one-off thing is fooling themselves,” he asserted.
Afghanistan has secured 10 victories in the last three ICC events, including five wins in the previous T20 World Cup, where they made history by reaching the semi-finals and eliminating Australia. In the 2023 ODI World Cup, they narrowly missed out on a semi-final spot with four wins in nine matches. Meanwhile, Pakistan has struggled, failing to progress beyond the group stage in any of these tournaments, winning just six matches combined. Their exit from the Champions Trophy without a single victory further underscored their decline.
Wasim Akram praised Afghanistan’s relentless determination, emphasizing their hunger to succeed against top teams. “The best thing about that team is that whenever they come onto the field, they want to win, whether it’s batting or fielding. There’s a collective hunger to do well against the best teams in the world,” he said.
Jadeja, who worked as a consultant with Afghanistan during the 2023 ODI World Cup, credited their growing self-belief as the key to their success. “Now they believe they can get out of any situation. When you win close games, it’s all about belief. That’s what they have shown in this tournament,” he concluded.
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