Afghanistan slithers its way to a heavyweight education, while England and Pakistan are driven to the verge

Pakistan is just slightly better off, while England is teetering on the edge. The two previous winners’ World Cup campaigns are barely holding on. There are other things that the teams in the 2023 World Cup have in common.

Afghanistan has taught both of them a lot. They are both fierce, impulsive, lively, and very amusing, but they have also greatly increased the amount of depth and restraint in their swagger. It seemed unimaginable for England or Pakistan to lose to Hashmatullah Shahidi’s troops, yet that is exactly what happened.

The unexpected victory of Afghanistan against England at the Arun Jaitley Stadium was unexpected. Four days earlier, in the nation’s capital, they had been thrashed by India, whose 272 for eight on a superb surface proved to be wildly insufficient as the hosts swept home with ninety deliveries remaining. It was difficult to see how the Afghans would add to their record of one World Cup victory in fifteen games, which they had already achieved in Dunedin in 2015 against Scotland, after they had just lost by six wickets to Bangladesh.

England demonstrated their batting prowess in a 137-run thumping of Bangladesh, seeming to have recovered from their opening-game crushing at the hands of New Zealand. Everything suggested that the form book would stay true, but the Afghans destroyed it with a 69-run win because to their qualities, which make them a formidable opponent.

The strength of Afghanistan lies in its multifaceted, multipronged spin assault, which can put the greatest in the world to the test at the first sign of support. Their strategy for the 50-over format is to score a lot of runs—roughly 260—and let players like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb-ur-Rehman, and Mohammad Nabi do their thing. On an actual pitch, it didn’t work against India, but against England, with a little wear and tear, the spinners were all over the reigning champs like a terrible rash.

With eight wickets for 104 from 25.3 overs between them, the trio stunned England by orchestrating brilliant dismissals one after another, bowling them out for 215 runs. Afghanistan was at its most rapacious.

It was the 15th of October. Eight days later, Afghanistan showed off an often hidden aspect of their cricketing abilities: the ability to chase down a high target with little fuss. The manner they chased down Pakistan’s 282 for seven at Chepauk, with eight wickets remaining and six deliveries remaining, had a hint of India about it.

For just the reasons mentioned above—a spin-friendly surface and the possibility of aid for the Afghan tweakers—Pakistan has been reluctant to confront Afghanistan. Their request to bat first may have come as a pleasant surprise, but they were completely unprepared for the ease with which Rahmat Shah, Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran, and Rahmanullah Gurbaz executed the pursuit. It was methodical, proficient, leisurely, and completely free of fear. It was an outstanding demonstration of the art of pursuing, despite a bowling assault that was out of form.

The three biggest surprises of the first half of the league phase have been Afghanistan’s two victories and the Netherlands’ incredible victory against South Africa in Dharamsala. Though they don’t have the most terrifying cricketing history, the Dutch and Bangladesh, the more established “smaller” countries, have more than made up for their lackluster performance with flair and swagger. That can only be advantageous for a sport that remains the exclusive domain of a select few people even after being added to the 2028 Olympic program in Los Angeles.

The ascent of the underdog often has a positive vibe. New stars must rise to the top and become role models and inspirations for players from the less developed countries, particularly in this period when some of the once-mighty, like the West Indies, have shamefully gone by the wayside. It’s okay for players like David Warner and Virat Kohli to be excited, but when someone like Gurbaz or the Netherlands captain Scott Edwards takes a shot for tiny David versus big, terrible Goliath, the effect is immeasurable.

Afghanistan is ranked sixth, the Netherlands is at an all-time low after Australia’s tournament-record 309-run destruction of them on Wednesday, and neither team will likely advance to the semifinals without a miracle. However, they will never again be seen as pushovers, and if that’s not a development that should be applauded, then not much else is, in all honesty.