Our spin department is probably the best in the world, says Afghan chief selector

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan is the number two in the ICC bowling ranking.

The cricketing world has seen how Afghanistan's talented bunch of players can make the smiles disappear from the faces of the game's big names on the big stages.

But the smile never left Nawroz Mangal's face when this reporter greeted him with questions on the phenomenal rise of his nation in cricket.

Mangal, the chairman of Afghanistan national selection committee, revealed that it's not just the rival teams that have been troubled by his team.

"You won't believe, so many talented players have come up through the ranks that the selectors have become confused. They are giving us a big selection headache now," the former Afghanistan captain told Khaleej Times.

"Now you have seen how well they have performed in the Asia Cup. It would not have been possible without the pool of talent we have, you know.

"We have around 30-32 players in our camp. We have been working with them for the past two years keeping in mind the 2019 World Cup," he added.

This young Afghan team has shown remarkable maturity against the more experienced sides in the Asia Cup.

"Of course, it's a matter of pride for us. Our aim obviously was not just to participate in this Asia Cup, but we wanted to show the world that we can beat the top teams," Mangal said.

"In the past, we had gone to the tournaments to participate, but now we go to these events to win matches.

"Yes, our team can still improve, but I think we have learned by now how to surprise the top teams and beat them in big tournaments. It's because of that that the ICC gave us the Test status."

Bowling, according to Mangal, is Afghan's biggest strength.

"Our spin department is probably the best in the world with Rashid (Khan), Mujeeb (ur Rahman) and (Mohammad) Nabi," he said.

"I think if we score around 250, any team will find it difficult to chase down that kind of a target against our bowlers. Rashid is the number two in ICC ODI bowling ranking. So that shows our strength."

Mangal believes the team's positive attitude is the secret to their success.

"When players have that kind of confidence, the team is only going to perform well. If you think how you are going to bowl against Rohit Sharma, you will obviously struggle. But when you focus on your game rather than thinking about the reputation of the rival players, you can play well against the world's best teams," he said.

Mangal, a member of the Asian Cricket Council's technical committee, says Afghanistan head coach Phil Simmons deserves a lot of praise for the team's success.

"The coaching staff deserves a lot of credit. Simmons has done a wonderful job with the boys. Even our senior players have played a big role in building the team and helping the junior players," he said.

Finally, Mangal doffed his hat to Abdul Rahman Bukhatir, the man who helped Afghanistan chase their cricket dreams by offering the iconic Sharjah stadium for their home matches.

"The Afghanistan Cricket Board will always be grateful to Mr Bukhatir. He has been helping our team since 2009. Those were our early days in international cricket, so for Mr Bukhatir to offer us the Sharjah Stadium was such a great gesture," he said.

"Now India also has helped us a lot. It's wonderful that these Asian countries are supporting a country like Afghanistan.

"You know, in Europe, England is supporting Holland and Scotland. So this is important. That day you saw how well Hong Kong played against India. So these teams need support, you know."

rituraj@khaleejtimes.com

• Asia Cup 2019