Afghanistan's preparations for the World Twenty20 have been far from ideal since the Taliban took over the country in August, but captain Mohammad Nabi hopes his team's performance can bring some joy back to the country.
The staff of the Afghanistan Cricket Board was also reshuffled and all-rounder Nabi was given the captaincy after the resignation of star spinner Rashid Khan who was not consulted about the selection of the squad.
The Afghan team arrived in the UAE late due to visa problems and cooked a little less, having played only three Twenty20 matches against Zimbabwe since March last year due to the Covid-19 epidemic.
"It's not ideal," Super 12 told reporters on Sunday, a day before their opening match against Scotland in Sharjah.
"There was a slight problem when we arrived in Dubai ... but these last two preparation matches and practice sessions prepared the team well.
"The fans are really waiting because the only happiness in Afghanistan is cricket. If we can do well in the tournament and win the games, the fans will be really happy and they will have a lot of smiles on their faces."
Afghanistan are in Group Two along with former champions India and Pakistan as well as New Zealand. The top two teams from each group will advance to the semifinals.
Very few teams take Afghanistan lightly in world cricket, more so in the short format, and their growing status as top-eight teams is reflected in their automatic qualification in the Super 12 round of the World Cup.
Afghanistan have made a name for themselves as a powerful bowling attack and will rely on Nabi, Rashid and Mujib Ur Rahman to limit their spin trio opponents.
The experienced prophet said, ‘I will do my best to make my team a unit. "We play a lot of cricket in the UAE and every player knows how the situation works. Really excited."
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