'Afghanistan can win an ICC tournament in the next decade', says former South African pace legend

South African pace legend Dale Steyn believes that Afghanistan has the potential to win an ICC limited-overs tournament within the next decade if their players develop patience in their approach.

Rising through the ranks despite the challenges of war and instability, Afghanistan has transformed from an affiliate member to a formidable force in white-ball cricket. Their performance in recent ICC tournaments has been impressive—they came close to reaching the knockouts in the 2023 ODI World Cup, securing victories over former champions England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. They also reached the semifinals of the 2022 T20 World Cup, eliminating Australia along the way.

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Speaking on ESPNCricinfo, Steyn pointed out that the Afghan players often lack patience, which is crucial in building an innings or constructing a spell.

“We live in a time where people struggle with patience—we can barely watch two seconds of an Instagram story. It feels like Afghanistan’s players approach their cricket in a similar way,” Steyn remarked. “They want things to happen immediately. Every ball must be a wicket; every shot must clear the ropes. Their batters often show excessive movement at the crease, trying to hit a six from the first over itself.”

At the ongoing ICC Champions Trophy, Afghanistan was in contention for a semifinal spot alongside Australia and South Africa, especially after their victory over England. However, their opening loss to South Africa proved costly, and their 'virtual quarterfinal' against Australia was washed out, leaving both teams to share points. While they still have a mathematical chance of qualifying if England thrashes South Africa by a huge margin, the odds remain slim due to the Proteas' superior net run rate (2.140 compared to Afghanistan’s -0.990).

Steyn said that playing more four-day first-class cricket could help Afghan players cultivate the patience needed to excel in the longer white-ball formats.

“Previously, players would improve their skills and patience by playing county or first-class cricket. Many Afghan players are involved in T20 leagues worldwide, which benefits them financially and provides valuable exposure. But spending time in four-day cricket might help them understand how to build an innings—after all, one-day cricket is essentially a condensed version of a Test match,” he explained.