Rashid Khan, the captain of Afghanistan, highlighted the team's overall progress throughout the years and expressed optimism in their chances of performing well in the T20 World Cup in 2024. Not one to downplay the analysts' forecasts, Rashid stated that Afghanistan will play each game as it comes and will do everything in their power to go to the tournament's semi-final.
Speaking to the media on the day of their T20 World Cup 2024 opener in Guyana against Uganda, Rashid Khan stated that it is only encouraging that many believe Afghanistan may make it to the semi-finals.
"A few people have mentioned Afghanistan is going to be there for semis. But we take that as a very positive sign, and something is there for us. Before, it used to be Afghanistan even contribution was harder for us to get qualified. And now to be nominated [nominated by experts], to be there in the top four. I think it's big for us, but for us, we don't look to those things a lot," Rashid Khan said.
"It's all about how we're going to be there in the ground, delivering. We were very near in the last World Cup [ODI World Cup] as well to be in the semis. We were just one game away from being in the semis and that's where I feel like the belief started that nothing is impossible and for us as a team. So yeah, looking forward we are really excited about this World Cup but as I said before as well, we take one game at a time and then see how it goes," he added.
Afghanistan has enjoyed making multiple appearances in the T20 World Cup since their debut in 2010. Afghanistan has advanced to the following round in each of the previous three tournaments after losing in the group stage in the first three.