Is #Afghanistan Better Than Pakistan In White-ball Cricket?

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Pakistan's Tour Of Afghanistan, #PAKvAFG Afghanistan #RamizRaja, #PAKvsAFG, #Afghanistan
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#Afghanistan qualified for the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup today after defeating Bangladesh. Earlier, Pakistan failed to progress past the group stage. In light of Afghanistan’s impressive performances, let’s examine whether they are now a stronger white-ball team than Pakistan.

Read: How #T20WorldCup Exposed Pakistan Cricket

Why #Afghanistan Seems To Be A Better White-ball Team Than Pakistan

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It’s no longer just about the Afghan spinners. Unlike Pakistan, their batters play modern style of cricket, and their pacers have improved significantly. In terms of fielding, they also appear to be a stronger unit than Pakistan. During the last ODI World Cup, they comfortably defeated Pakistan. Although both teams ended the tournament with the same number of points, Pakistan ranked higher due to a better run rate. Given their recent record, Afghanistan can arguably claim to be the second-best Asian side in white-ball cricket.

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Why It’s Too Early To Say

Pakistan's Tour Of Afghanistan, #PAKvsAFG, #PakvsAfghanistan, #Afghanistan
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While Afghanistan’s recent record is impressive, they too like Pakistan are suffering owing to political turmoil in the country that can result in disrupting their progress anytime. In case of Pakistan, there is rift within the squad. It is a matter of time before Pakistani players find a way to play as a unit again. The moment that happens, favorable results are likely to follow.

While Afghanistan are playing better cricket than Pakistan at the moment, things can still change significantly within the next six months and so, it is a little too early to say whether or not they are a better team than Pakistan.