ICC World Cup 2019: We Need to Show the World That We are not Only Strong on Paper - Rashid Khan

Afghanistan Cricket Team have come a long way since their ouster from the group stages of 2015 ICC World Cup. They have a strong side and will look to cause some upset when the tournament knocks off from May 30. Meanwhile, the Afghans are in England to prove their worth as a team as leg-spinner Rashid Khan admitted that they are keen to show the world that they are not only strong on paper.

We need to deliver in pressure situations: Rashid

Meanwhile, Afghanistan shook the cricketing world when they changed their skipper in the days before naming the squad. The selectors named Gulbadin Naib in place of senior cricketer Asghar Afghan to lead the team in the World Cup. The team have some quality players in Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb-ur-Rahman, Mohammad Shahzad, who can change the game on any given day.

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The country from the middle-east won the Qualifiers beating Windies in the final to progress to the main tournament. And when Afghanistan begin their World Cup campaign against Australia, they will look to improve their statistics of winning only one game in the 2015 ICC World Cup.

The top-ranked T20I bowler Rashid Khan said that they are keen to prove that they are not only a good paper. Rashid believes that they can perform well under pressure as they did in the Asia Cup. The whole team is looking forward to come out as a unit and deliver in the World Cup.

“We have the skills, everything,” Rashid told Adelaide’s Advertiser newspaper earlier this month.

“We need to show the world we are not only good on paper … We didn’t do well in the past under pressure but I think this World Cup is about beating big teams and play good cricket like we did in the Asia Cup. It is time for us to deliver something,” he added.

Afghanistan will play Australia in their World Cup opener on June 1 at the Bristol Cricket Ground.