Afghanistan Cricket Hurt by Lack of Matches, Says Coach Richard Pybus
· Sports · Indian Express, Sportstar
Afghanistan lost the first T20I against India by seven wickets at the Arun Jaitley Cricket Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday. The match marked Afghanistan's first T20I appearance in nearly seven months since the 2026 T20 World Cup earlier this year. Head coach Richard Pybus defended his players after the heavy defeat, pointing to the long hiatus and lack of regular fixtures as the primary reason for their lack of coherence. Despite standout performers playing in various foreign leagues like the Caribbean Premier League and Lanka Premier League, the squad struggled against India's bowling attack. Afghanistan remains Asia's second-best team in the shortest format with a 52.57% win percentage since 2024, but opportunities for regular matches remain scarce.
Why it matters
The lack of international fixtures directly hinders Afghanistan's ability to compete against top-tier teams like India despite their evident talent and strong ranking in the shortest format.
Read the original report — Indian Express
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