Sport
Afghanistan can learn to control pressure and emotions only by playing top teams regularly: Ahmadzai
Raees Ahmadzai, Afghanistan’s assistant coach, has implored the ICC and other Full Members to play them often to help develop quality, improved game sense and the ability to close out matches under pressure.
Since 2021, Afghanistan have only played Ireland, Netherlands, Bangladesh and Zimbabwe in bilateral series. Their maiden tour to Australia, which was first postponed because of Covid-19 in 2020, was called off late last year.
Afghanistan defeated Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the group stage of the ongoing Asia Cup T20I tournament, but lost their Super Four matches against Sri Lanka, Pakistan and India.
“It’s important for a team like us to play against top-level teams,” Ahmadzai said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.com. “It’s not easy. I can’t remember when we last played India or Pakistan. Playing one or two matches against them in top-level tournaments is not enough. It will help if we play them more often.
“Only then can our players learn to control their emotions, control pressure and learn from [the experience]. I feel we deserve that. The way we started in the Asia Cup, giving a tough time to the other teams, I think we did well. Our win over Sri Lanka was a one-sided win, we beat Bangladesh. But we have to improve on the basics. Our players realise where we should be more focused so that we can finish the way we started.”
Defending 130 against Pakistan, Afghanistan restricted 118 for 9 with seven balls left. Then Naseem Shah smashed two sixes off full tosses to secure win for Pakistan. The next day on Thursday, Afghanistan suffered a 101-run loss against India.
Ahmadzai revealed the team had been “sleepless” following the Pakistan loss, because of how much it took out of them mentally, having lost a game they believed was theirs.
“To be honest, everyone panicked in that situation [when Pakistan were nine down],” Ahmadzai revealed. But then we played back-to-back games, and we tried our best. The way we looked at the wicket, I thought we could restrict India to 170 or 180. But if you drop a catch of a good player like Kohli, he won’t give you too many opportunities.”
According to Ahmadzai, some individual performances were source of encouragement as Afghanistan build towards the T20 World Cup in Australia.
“If you’re playing against the big names, the big stars, you always get to learn a lot. During the tournament we spent some time with the Pakistani and Sri Lankan players also. It was a good experience, something our players can learn [from] and apply at the World Cup.”
Ireland cricket officials have announced that they will host Afghanistan for a five-match ODI series from August 5–14.
Other international teams including Australia and England have either cancelled or avoided scheduling bilateral series against Afghanistan since the Islamic Emirate regained power in 2021.
“Cricket Ireland has made a decision to play Afghanistan in Belfast this year,” CI chief executive Sarah Keane said on Friday. “I’m not going to fob you off by saying that there’s financial reasons and there’s legal reasons. There aren’t. This has been a decision by Cricket Ireland in what it believes is the best interest of the organisation as a whole, and the decision was made by the board this week.”
Afghanistan’s national buzkashi team was eliminated from the Kokpar World Championship after losing 4–2 to Uzbekistan in the semifinals on Friday.
The defeat prevented the Afghan team from reaching the final, ending their hopes for the tournament title.
Earlier in the tournament, Afghanistan had secured victories over Hungary, Mongolia, and Russia, showcasing strong performances in the opening rounds.
The international Kokpar competition was hosted in the city of Turkistan, Kazakhstan, bringing together top teams from around the world.
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has sanctioned the Israel Football Association (IFA) for multiple breaches of its obligations as a FIFA member, following allegations of discrimination raised by the Palestinian Football Association (PFA).
The decision comes after the PFA submitted a proposal at FIFA’s 74th Congress, prompting the FIFA Council to mandate a formal investigation. The Committee found that the IFA violated Articles 13 and 15 of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code, covering offensive behaviour, breaches of fair play, and racist abuse.
As part of the sanctions, the IFA has been fined CHF 150,000, issued a formal warning, and ordered to implement a comprehensive prevention plan. The plan includes displaying a highly visible banner reading “Football Unites the World – No to Discrimination” at its next three home matches in A-level FIFA competitions. FIFA must approve the banner’s layout and placement before each game.
Additionally, one-third of the fine must be invested in anti-discrimination initiatives within 60 days, including reforms, protocols, monitoring, and educational campaigns across stadiums and official channels for a full season. The remainder of the fine must be paid within 30 days.
FIFA emphasized that football carries a responsibility to promote dignity, equality, and mutual respect, particularly during periods of conflict and division.
The IFA has been formally notified, and the decision has been published on FIFA’s legal portal. The ruling remains subject to appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
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