ICC World Cup 2023: Zeal to be admired!

Afghanistan players celebrate the wicket of England’s Harry Brook at New Delhi on Sunday. Pic/AFP

It was a victory that came out of nowhere, so to speak. In 17 previous World Cup encounters from 2015, Afghanistan had surrendered 16, their lone victory coming against Scotland, by one wicket, in Dunedin eight and a half years back. This World Cup campaign had started pretty much the same way, with heavy defeats at the hands of Bangladesh and then India.

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The cricketing misadventures were nothing compared to the series of earthquakes that devastated the nation, claiming more than 3,000 lives, displacing many thousands more and leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. For a country that has been reeling under violence for a long time and that has desperately been looking for a ray of sunshine amid the dark, foreboding clouds, Sunday's shock win over England must have been overwhelmingly satisfying.

Turn of events
England, the defending champions, came into the contest expecting to roll Afghanistan over, and few could have grudged them that expectation. But in a dramatic turnaround in fortunes on an Arun Jaitley Stadium surface that was nowhere near the belter on which India decimated Afghanistan, the Asian nation did what it does best - put runs on the board and attack relentlessly with its three-pronged spin attack of Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi and Rashid Khan.

Between them, the trio picked up eight wickets as Afghanistan defended 284 with tigerish zeal, eking out a 69-run win in inarguably the shock of the tournament. Just how much the result meant to the players was evident in their celebrations - respectful but not over-the-top, heartfelt and full of humility.

Impressive blokes
Afghanistan have established themselves as wholesome entertainers whose brand of cricket resonates around the world. They are uninhibited and free-spirited with the bat, their style of play almost a throwback to the amateur era, and they are more than a handful with the ball with a pronounced dependence on spin. This win will not alter the world order in any tangible way, but teams will be wary of Afghanistan's threat, especially when the latter bat first, and so might be forced to change their own gameplans even when they don't want to.

After the last wicket, Mark Wood, was fittingly plucked out by Rashid, the talismanic leg-spinner spoke of his delight at putting a small smile on the faces of his countrymen and women in their terrible times of pain, anguish and suffering. Mujeeb, the Player of the Match for the scalps of Joe Root, Harry Brook and Chris Woakes, dedicated the victory to the people of Afghanistan. These weren't token statements for the sake of it, they were not public relations exercises. Many of the Afghan cricketers don't live in their own country but their heart still beats for Afghanistan, and it is that sense of pride and brotherhood they will carry with them for the rest of the World Cup. Their future opponents have been forewarned.