Australia is set to face Afghanistan in their eighth ICC World Cup 2023 showdown at Mumbai’s Wankhede Stadium on November 7. Naveen-ul-Haq from the Afghanistan team has delivered a sharp comment directed towards the Australian squad as they prepare for this significant World Cup match.
Cricket Australia created quite a commotion when it chose to bail out of the scheduled ODI series against Afghanistan in March. Their sudden withdrawal, citing issues relating to the Taliban, not only prompted suspicions but also created controversy in the world of cricket.
The revelation of Australia’s withdrawal from the ODI series placed Afghan fans and players in a state of uncertainty. This series held important importance in the ICC ODI Super League, as it allowed both sides a chance to collect valuable points to boost their standings. Nonetheless, because to Australia’s choice to forfeit, all 30 points that were up for grabs went directly to Afghanistan, while Australia didn’t incur any sanctions.
Before this ODI series event, Australia and Afghanistan were initially planned to compete in a Test match in November 2021. However, the match was abruptly called off following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August of that same year.
Naveen-ul-Haq, the Afghan cricketer, subtly baited Australia right before their encounter in the group stages of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. His statements indirectly suggested that Australia should concede the game, providing Afghanistan with the much-needed two points. This comment served as an allusion to Australia’s earlier decisions to forfeit two series.
Naveen highlighted the issue of human rights in his narrative, as Australia’s decision to withdraw from the bilateral series in March was prompted by concerns over human rights violations in Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover.
Afghanistan has secured victories in four matches during the 2023 World Cup, defeating the defending champions England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and most recently, the Netherlands. Their journey continues as they gear up to face Australia and subsequently South Africa. The team is pouring their heart and soul into reaching the semi-finals, aiming to etch their names into the annals of history with this extraordinary campaign. Already, this has been an exceptional and groundbreaking journey, and should they succeed in reaching the semi-finals, it would stand as an incredible feat.
