Rashid Khan openly expressed his disappointment following Afghanistan's one-sided semifinal loss to South Africa on June 27. He acknowledged the challenging conditions that impacted their performance, underscoring the unpredictable nature of T20 cricket. (Highlights | Scorecard | Full Coverage)
"It was tough for us as a team. We might have done better but the conditions didn't allow us to do what we wanted. That's how T20 cricket is, you need to be ready for all conditions," disappointed Rashid said.
Despite the loss in the semifinal, the spinner believes his side has learned a lot from this tournament.
"It is just the beginning for us, we have the confidence and belief to beat any side. We just need to keep our processes. This has been a great learning experience for us."
"What we take from the competition is the belief. We know we have the skills, it is just about managing tough and pressure situations,” he noted.
Talking about the areas the team could improve, the Skipper said, "Yes, some work to be done, especially in the middle order to take the innings deep. We have achieved good results so far but we come back doing more hard work, especially in the batting department.”
Rashid praised the South African pacers for their steadfast performance.
“I think they bowled really well. I think we got good success in this tournament because the seamers bowled really well. You need good starts (when bowlers are on top).”
He even, appreciated Afghan bowlers for how they played throughout.
“I think we were unlucky with Mujeeb's injury, but our seamers and even (Mohammad) Nabi bowled brilliantly with the new ball. That made our job easier as spinners.
"We will accept playing a semifinal and losing to a top side like South Africa,” he added.
(With PTI inputs)
