Afghanistan is having a dream World Cup. Although they started the season with a loss against Bangladesh, so far they have defeated three former and current champion teams – England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Having won three of their six matches, they are strongly in the race for the semi-finals.
Afghans are now the biggest advertisement in world cricket. Former cricketers and analysts are praising Rashid-Mujib. The Gujarat model may be the reason behind the success of Afghans! Both Afghanistan’s batting coach and mentor for the World Cup are Indians. Afghans are making great use of their ‘trick’ in the ongoing World Cup in India.
On October 15, Afghanistan lost the current world champion England in Delhi. Judging by the ranking and position, it is a big event in the history of the World Cup. Then on October 23, Hashmatullah Shahidi’s team achieved the feat of defeating Pakistan for the first time in Chennai. The Afghan fairy tale does not end there. The last time they won in Daput was against Sri Lanka. Afghans showed the achievement of defeating these former world champions by 7 wickets.
Afghanistan made their debut in the 2015 World Cup just eight years ago. That time they won a match. against Scotland. In 2019, Afghanistan did not win a single World Cup match. But in 2023, Rashid Khanra is in a completely different mood. The major masterstroke behind the team’s reshuffle could be the appointment of two Indians as mentors and batting coaches, both from Gujarat. Apart from this, Afghan head coach Jonathan Trott is also playing a leading role in making Rashid-Nabid a big team.
The Afghan team is mentored by Ajay Jadeja, who was born in Jamnagar, Gujarat, India. The advice of this former Indian cricketer is now the real claim of Afghanistan. Milap Mewada is also the batting coach. The former Indian first-class cricketer hails from Mehsana. Milap’s achievement is proven in the performance of the Afghan batters.
Ajay Jadeja, a name synonymous with cricket in the 90s. The career of this former Indian cricketer is colorful in many ways. He was popular for his dynamic fielding at 22 yards, fearless batting and always smiling demeanor. His running between the wickets was exemplary to many at that time. Just before the World Cup, 52-year-old Jadeja was appointed as the mentor of Afghanistan’s cricket team.
India’s reliable middle-order batsman has also led Team India in 13 ODIs. Played 196 matches. He scored 5359 runs at an average of 37.47. He also has 6 centuries and 30 half-centuries. Played three World Cups for the country. His innings of 45 off just 25 balls in the 1996 World Cup is a memorable moment in his career.
Ajay Jadeja was accused of match fixing in 2000. Exiled for five years. Desperate to return to international cricket, he also appealed to the Delhi High Court. However, it was rejected. After being exiled, he was appointed as a coach for the Rajasthan team in domestic cricket. Later he also commented. Now Jadeja is blossoming with a new challenge.
Meanwhile, 48-year-old Milap Mewadar has a long coaching experience in domestic cricket. He has worked with Jammu and Kashmir and Hyderabad. Wicketkeeper batsman Milap Mayweather’s playing career did not last long. Only 11 First Class and 26 List A players got a chance to play in the match.
He played the last professional match in 2004. Then he got into coaching. He was also the assistant coach of Baroda. Under his coaching, the Chhattisgarh U-19 team reached the knockout stage of the domestic tournament. Milap’s coaching can be a big reason behind the success of Afghan batters on the world stage.
FI
