Afghanistan will fear no one at the Cricket World Cup, claims Rashid Khan

Rashid Khan is not only a great spinner but also a confident man ahead of the World Cup. (AFP)

• Spin King Khan sends down warning ahead of ODI showpiece.
• Boast comes just a day following Afghanistan's first Test win in just their second Test.

LONDON: Afghanistan will fear no one at the Cricket World Cup — that is the confident message from the side’s spin king Rashid Khan.
That warning comes just a day after Khan’s teammate Mohammad Nabi declared the side could beat any Test side after they recorded their first ever Test win — a seven-wicket victory against Ireland —  in just their second Test.
Before they can prove Nabi right, however, Afghanistan’s focus is purely on this summer’s ODI World Cup. At last year’s Asia Cup, Afghanistan made a breakthrough by topping their group in the 50-over competition ahead of established Test nations Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. And that has given Khan and Co. the confidence they can shock a few established teams in England.
“We have the talent and we have the skills,” the leg-spinner said. “How we played in the Asia Cup was totally different and we showed that we can beat any side,” said Khan, whose side even tied a match with heavyweights India in the last-four stage.
“The only thing is to believe in your skills. Just to be relaxed in big matches and enjoy your game,” he said.
“And that’s how we should be in the World Cup.”
Afghanistan only gained one-day international (ODI) status in 2009 and Test status in 2017, but their recent rise has coincided with Khan’s emergence as a world-class spinner. The 20-year-old tops the world Twenty20 bowling rankings and lies third in the 50-over standings.