During the 2019 World Cup’s early stages, Afghanistan played nine matches and didn’t win a single one. They lost to Bangladesh by 62 runs in a game held in Southampton. In the last Asia Cup, they faced a big loss to Bangladesh, losing by 89 runs.
Now, as Afghanistan gets ready to start another World Cup campaign with a match against Bangladesh tomorrow, the question arises: will their past experiences in the 2019 World Cup and the big loss to Bangladesh in the Asia Cup affect them?
During a press conference before the match, Afghanistan’s captain, Hashmatullah Shahidi, was asked about these past experiences. In response, he assured everyone that the team was fully focused on making the best possible start in the World Cup match tomorrow and not dwelling on past setbacks.
When asked about the recent Asia Cup loss to Bangladesh, Hashmatullah said, “We’ve played against each other many times. Sometimes we win, and sometimes they win. They beat us in the last match (Asia Cup).” Hashmatullah then added, “We came here well-prepared, and we’ve discussed this thoroughly. We’ve got ourselves ready. We know them very well and will play accordingly. As a team, we’ll aim to turn things around in this match against them.”
After Hashmatullah’s response about the Asia Cup, he was reminded of his team’s performance in the last World Cup. His reply was, “That’s history now. It ended four years ago. The past is in the past, and we’re now focused on the present. So, we’re trying to stay positive in this World Cup. Tomorrow is our first match, and we’ll do our best to start the World Cup well.”
