Afghanistan cricket has made remarkable strides over the past few years, and their recent 2-1 ODI series win over South Africa was a testament to their growing dominance in world cricket. The series victory, their first-ever against South Africa, was a significant milestone, as the team continues to prove its mettle against top-tier opponents.
Earlier this year, Afghanistan also reached another historic achievement by qualifying for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup for the first time in their history. A pivotal moment came when they stunned Australia in the Super Eights, setting the stage for their place in the final four.
Afghanistan’s rise was also evident during the previous year’s ODI World Cup, where they delivered some standout performances that left a lasting impression. They came close to causing a major upset against Australia in one of the group-stage matches, only to be denied by a freakish double-century from Glenn Maxwell.
Afghanistan did, however, record memorable victories over heavyweights like England and Pakistan, finishing sixth in the standings. Their eight points tied them with Pakistan and placed them ahead of seasoned teams like England, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan’s inspiring journey at the ODI World Cup last year also saw a key involvement of former India batter Ajay Jadeja, who served as a member of the support staff. Jadeja reportedly did not charge any fee for his role, building a close bond with the players, especially with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi.
Shahidi, in a YouTube interview with Shubhankar Sharma, praised Jadeja for his selflessness and the valuable insights he brought to the team.
Shahidi on Jadeja
The Afghanistan skipper revealed that Jadeja constantly motivated the side despite the twists and turns of their World Cup campaign and eventually forged a bond so close that he was left teary-eyed when the tournament ended.
“When the tough time came, he (Jadeja) motivated us a lot. When the tournament ended, I saw tears in his eyes for our country. That’s the love he had for us. I also have a video of that,” Shahidi said.
The Afghanistan skipper also revealed a conversation with Jadeja, where the former India star told Shahidi that he learnt a lot from his time in the dressing room.
“I told him, ‘I learnt a lot from you’. I couldn’t even complete the sentence, but he cut me and said, ‘Bhai, kya baat kar rahe ho. I got to learn a lot from you guys’. We are still in contact with each other,” said Shahidi.
