NEW DELHI: New Zealand captain
Kane Williamson
believes Afghanistan boasts "one of the better bowling attacks" in the
T20 World Cup
, noting that their performance is only improving with increased international experience.
The Black Caps will start their campaign against Afghanistan, a team they have faced only once before in this format.
"Certainly a number of players in their side...
I mean, all of the players, to be honest, they have such a skillful team, one of the better bowling attacks, I think, in the competition," Williamson said in the pre-match press conference.
T20 World Cup: Points Table | Schedule
Afghanistan possess a formidable array of talented spinners, led by their captain
Rashid Khan
. The team also includes the skilled
Mujeeb ur Rahman
and the promising Noor Ahmad, adding depth to their spin bowling department.
Having played alongside Rashid in franchise cricket, Williamson is well-acquainted with the leg-spinner's abilities.
"And we've seen that in franchise competitions, the involvement, the number of Afghani players. And they're getting better and better," Williamson said.
"They're getting more and more (exposure to) top-level cricket. And we saw that at the last World Cup, how strong they were in the ODI format too. So, a highly skilled team that can pose a number of threats."
"Obviously, Rashid's been around for a while now, although still a young man, but an extremely gifted world-class player,"
Naveen-ul-Haq and Fazalhaq Farooqi, two talented pacers, have showcased their skills and value to the team in recent matches. Their consistent performances have solidified their positions as key members of the bowling attack.
"But there are a number of other players in their side throughout, really, that make them an exciting team and a real challenge."
Williamson enters the upcoming World Cup with limited recent game time. Throughout the Indian Premier League (IPL) season, he primarily served as a reserve player for the Gujarat Titans franchise.
"Yeah. I mean, it's just the nature of the beast. I've been involved in a few IPLs now and sometimes play more, sometimes play less. And the balance of overseas players (4 allowed in XI) has a lot to do with that.
"But when you are on the road playing a lot, you know, sometimes it's hard to get those windows. But equally, you know, there's cricket coming up, which is the World Cup. So, it's trying to put time into moving your game forward because there's so many opportunities over there."
The World Cup is being played across various venues but Williamson is confident of New Zealand's ability to adapt to the conditions.
"The different venues, I think, provide different challenges and different areas to target. So as a team, it's just trying to be smart with that. [We] approach it with a well-balanced squad so you can try and use the resource that's required really.
"As a team, it comes back to the focus that we have on our game and how we want to skin it, I suppose, which can look different every day. But that commitment to those roles is important.”
(With PTI inputs)
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