Ricky Ponting Predicts Bigger Things to Come for Afghanistan

Former Aussie skipper, Ricky Ponting has praised Afghanistan’s historic run at the 2024 T20I World Cup and has predicted that the team will only get better and better in future tournaments.

Under the leadership of skipper Rashid Khan, Afghanistan reached their first-ever World Cup semi-finals, earning admiration and respect from fans and cricketing legends alike, despite their loss to eventual runners-up South Africa.

Ponting expressed his admiration for Afghanistan’s performance and predicted that their journey in international cricket is just beginning. He said,

“It’s hard for an outsider to try and explain just how big it is for them. They stood up under the biggest pressure, the biggest moments, the biggest teams at this World Cup, and thoroughly deserved their place in the semi-final. It’s an epic journey. I’m sure it’s just the beginning of bigger things to come for Afghanistan.

The back-to-back World Cup-winning Aussie captain praised Rashid Khan and highlighted the exceptional performances of bowlers Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi. He also singled out Rahmanullah Gurbaz as a standout star but emphasized the impressive teamwork and adaptability displayed by the Afghan squad.

“The thing is they’ve been really smart – they’ve identified conditions early,” Ponting noted. “They’ve held the keys, their opening batters and their opening bowlers right throughout this tournament. If they can find another couple of middle-order batters over the next few years, they’ll have a very good side.”

Ponting further remarked on the inspiration that associate nations can draw from Afghanistan’s success. “Ten years ago, that was Afghanistan. Fifteen years ago, that was Bangladesh. Twenty-five years ago, that was Sri Lanka. And look at where they are now. You really have to start somewhere. You hope that when they go back home, they’ve learnt a lot from their experiences here.”