Afghanistan captain Rahmat Shah has tipped his side as the favorites for the upcoming tri-nation ODI series in the UAE, which is set to commence in Abu Dhabi on October 17. The tournament will feature Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Zimbabwe, with all three sides aiming for a spot in the final.
Addressing reporters in Abu Dhabi this past Friday, Rahmat noted that Afghanistan’s extensive experience playing in the UAE provides them with a significant home-field advantage. According to the skipper, because the squad frequently plays matches in Sharjah and Abu Dhabi, they have developed a strong comfort level with the local conditions.
Rahmat emphasized that the team enters the series with high confidence, bolstered by their performance in the recently concluded one-off Test against Bangladesh. Despite facing significant struggles during that match, Afghanistan mounted a resilient comeback in the final two days to secure a draw. He praised the batting lineup for their persistence under challenging conditions, describing the outcome as a historic achievement that provides a necessary boost for the ODI campaign. Reflecting on the Test, Rahmat described the result as a significant moment for Afghanistan, particularly given the position they found themselves in before the final stages of the match. When Bangladesh was having the upper hand, to bounce back and end up with a draw is a great achievement,” he said, in such a game.
The squad is further strengthened by the return of star players Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi. Rahmat highlighted their status as world-class performers, noting that Rashid, who was rested during the Test to manage his workload, has been a key factor in past victories and frequently earns Man of the Match honors. He acknowledged that the team missed Rashid’s presence in the longer format but expects his return to be a major asset for the limited-overs games.
Zimbabwe captain Sikandar Raza, while acknowledging the inherent advantage of the home side, maintained that the tournament remains wide open. After only two days of training in the UAE, Raza stated that he does not see a clear-cut favorite. He believes that because all three teams have prepared thoroughly, the team that manages to play the most consistent cricket throughout the event will ultimately prevail. And then, in the last one and a half days, the way the batters batted, credit goes to all the boys, especially the batters who batted well throughout, in the heat we were having there, we were struggling in between. So this is our second training session, we only arrived two days ago.
The competitive nature of the tournament was also highlighted by Bangladesh skipper Litton Kumar Das, who noted the unique pressure associated with tri-series formats. Unlike bilateral contests, where a loss can be mitigated by later matches, Litton pointed out that losing the opening game of a tri-series can immediately place a team on the back foot. He emphasized that in this format, factors like net run rate become crucial early on, leaving little room for error for any of the competing nations.
