2017—Afghanistan's best year ever

FE Team | Published: December 31, 2017 22:33:40

Afghan cricketers celebrate after winning the ODI series against Ireland in India in March — Internet

In the decade since Afghanistan first began to catch the cricket world's attention at ICC World Cricket League Division Five in 2008, the phrase "greatest moment in Afghanistan cricket history" is one that has bordered on cliché. Just when it looks like they have mounted the highest peak possible for a rags-to-riches Associate, they eye another to scale, reports ESPNCricinfo.
Past candidates for the title were their victory at the 2010 World T20 Qualifier to propel them to their first major World T20 event. In their first time participating in the Intercontinental Cup, they won the first-class Associate championship with in December 2010 to show they were more than just limited-overs wildlings. Then came the victory over Kenya in 2013 that clinched a spot at their first ever 50-over World Cup.
In that tournament, Afghanistan prevailed in a one-wicket nail-biter over Scotland, and later in 2015, they won their first series over a Full Member, in Zimbabwe. A few months later, Afghanistan downed Zimbabwe in the opening round to move into the main draw of the 2016 World T20 in India, then managed to become the only team to upend the eventual tournament champion, West Indies.
But in 2017, "greatest moments" seemed to occur at a spectacular rate. They made this year hands down Afghanistan's greatest yet.
Afghanistan's maiden bilateral tour to the Caribbean came in the summer, and they claimed a famous 63-run win over the hosts in the first ODI in Gros Islet.
Throughout all the history-making triumphs, 2017 will probably be remembered as the year of Rashid Khan. The legspinner with the devilish grin and hellacious googly terrorised almost every batsman who stood in his path.
He was the team's leading wicket-taker in the Desert T20 Challenge, with nine in five games; took with ten in five ODIs against Zimbabwe; was the leading bowler from either side in both the T20I and ODI series wins against Ireland, claiming 25 wickets across eight matches, including an outrageous record-setting 5 for 3 in the space of nine balls to turn the tide in an eventual 17-run D-L win in the second T20I.
Rashid was the catalyst for the Intercontinental Cup win over Ireland, 5 for 99 in the first innings and eight for the match.
Nabi became the first Afghanistan player taken by an IPL team when he received a bid of US$ 46,000 approx from Sunrisers Hyderabad. The excitement rose exponentially during the bidding war between Mumbai Indians and Sunrisers for Rashid.