Afghanistan cricket team ended the year as the tenth-ranked side in the ICC One-Day International (ODI) rankings after they took a 2-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against Zimbabwe in Sharjah.
This is the first time that Afghanistan have broken into the top 10 with 50 rating points, surpassing Ireland (46) and Zimbabwe (44).
After winning the first two matches, Afghanistan have a golden opportunity to maintain the tenth spot. They can do that if they win the series against Zimbabwe. But if Zimbabwe bounce back and win the remaining ODIs, Afghanistan will return to 12th position.
Afghanistan have shown a tremendous rise in their performance in the recent years. They qualified for ICC World Twenty20 2012 held in Sri Lanka. On October 3, 2013, they beat Kenya to finish second in the WCL Championship and qualified for the 2015 Cricket World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board was formed in 1995 and became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001 and a member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2003.
Afghanistan cricket team’s success is not a fluke. There has been a continuous struggle and also Pakistan’s support.
Former Pakistan captains Inzamam-ul-Haq and Rashid Latif and fast bowler Kabir Khan have trained Afghanistan cricket team.
Last year Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) decided not to extend their English coach Andy Moles’ one-year tenure due to communication problems between Moles and the players. Most Afghan players speak and understand Urdu due to their close cricket ties with Pakistan.
Inzamam had accepted Afghanistan’s head coach contract for only the tour of Zimbabwe in October 2015.
"I don’t have any experience of coaching an international team," he said. "That’s why I wanted to first see how it goes," Inzi explained about accepting the short-term contract.
But after winning the first ever series against an ICC full-member country, the Afghanistan Cricket Board wanted to extend Inzamam’s contract till 2017, but he has extended it only for one year.
"If I keep my good performance intact and they (Afghanistan Cricket Board) are satisfied, it could be further extended," he said.
Inzamam was also offered a similar position with the Pakistan team two years back, but the matter couldn’t be finalised.
Former India all-rounder Manoj Prabhakar has been named as Afghanistan’s bowling coach until the end of the World T20 in India next year. He has joined Inzamam in the support staff.
Rashid, Kabir and Inzamam have certainly guided Afghans on the road to success.
Afghanistan are a bunch of talented and aggressive bowlers and fielders, but batting is still a concern which needs Inzamam’s shrewd skills.
The year 2015 remained successful for Afghanistan as they made their first World Cup appearance in Australia in February-March, where they beat Scotland by one wicket.