Ricky Ponting opens up about future of Afghanistan cricket

Former Australian captain Ricky Ponting commended the Afghanistan team for their outstanding performance in the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they made it to the semi-finals before losing to South Africa.

Ponting believes this achievement signals the start of a remarkable period for Afghanistan cricket.

"It's hard for an outsider to try and explain just how big it is for them," Ponting was quoted as saying by ICC.

"They stood up under the biggest pressure, the biggest moments, the biggest teams at this World Cup, and thoroughly deserved their place in the semi-final.

"It's an epic journey. I'm sure it's just the beginning of bigger things to come for Afghanistan."

Ponting also commended captain Rashid Khan, along with bowlers Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi, and highlighted Rahmanullah Gurbaz as a standout player.

He noted Afghanistan's strategic approach, emphasizing their ability to adapt to conditions quickly. He suggested that if Afghanistan can develop a few more strong middle-order batsmen, they will become an even more formidable team.

"The thing is they've been really smart - they've identified conditions early," he said.

"They've held the keys, their opening batters and their opening bowlers right throughout this tournament. If they can find another couple of middle-order batters over the next few years, they'll have a very good side,” he added.

He drew parallels with the early development stages of other cricketing nations, saying, "Ten years ago, that was Afghanistan. 15 years ago, that was Bangladesh. 25 years ago, that was Sri Lanka.

"And look at where they are now. You really have to start somewhere. You hope that when they go back home, they've learnt a lot from their experiences here.”