Dale Steyn Believes Afghanistan Can Win ICC Tournament if They Embrace Patience

New Delhi, March 1: Legendary South African pacer Dale Steyn believes Afghanistan has the potential to win an ICC limited-overs tournament within the next decade, provided their players learn the art of patience.

Despite challenges posed by war and instability, Afghanistan's cricket journey has been inspirational. Rising from affiliate status, the nation has swiftly established itself as a formidable contender in international cricket, particularly in white-ball formats.

Afghanistan’s Remarkable Progress in Global Cricket​

Afghanistan displayed their growing prowess at the 2023 ODI World Cup, narrowly missing the knockout stages after impressive victories over former champions England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Additionally, at last year’s T20 World Cup, they stunned the cricket world by knocking out Australia and reaching the semifinals.

However, Steyn, speaking to ESPNCricinfo, emphasized a crucial aspect missing in Afghanistan's gameplay—patience.

“We live in a time now where people are not patient enough. We can hardly watch two seconds on an Instagram story, and it just feels like the Afghanistan players are similar when they're playing their cricket,” Steyn remarked.

Click to expand...

Patience: The Key to Afghanistan’s Cricketing Success​

Steyn observed that Afghanistan’s current approach often prioritizes immediate results, lacking the patience needed for strategic play.

“Patience is one of the biggest things that Afghanistan players need to learn. Once they get that down, honestly, in the next decade, they could win ICC tournaments for sure,” said Steyn.

Click to expand...

He further highlighted that the eagerness to score quickly or secure quick wickets leads to mistakes, explaining:

“They want things to happen so quickly. This ball must be a wicket; there's no patience to build up and take a wicket. The batters are the same sometimes; they're batting aggressively from the first over. There’s so much movement happening in the crease, so they're trying to hit a six and get the game going immediately.”

Click to expand...

Missed Opportunity at Champions Trophy 2025​

Afghanistan’s lack of patience cost them dearly at the ongoing Champions Trophy. After a stunning victory over England, the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side was locked in a tight race for a semifinal spot alongside Australia and South Africa. Unfortunately, an opening-match loss to South Africa and a subsequent rain-affected "virtual quarterfinal" against Australia diminished their chances significantly.

Afghanistan still holds slim mathematical chances of qualification if England secures an enormous win against South Africa. However, this scenario remains unlikely, considering the Proteas' superior net run rate of 2.140 compared to Afghanistan’s -0.990.

Playing Four-Day Cricket Could Boost Afghanistan’s ODI Performance​

Steyn also recommended incorporating four-day first-class cricket into the Afghanistan players’ routine. He believes this format would help players develop the temperament and patience needed for longer innings, ultimately benefiting their ODI performances.

“Back in the day, a lot of players would go play county cricket or first-class cricket to improve their skills and patience,” Steyn explained. “I think a lot of Afghanistan players play T20 cricket around the world, which is great for their pockets and skill improvement. But spending some time in four-day games might help, because one-day cricket is essentially a shortened version of a Test match.”

Click to expand...

Dale Steyn's insights underline the next steps Afghanistan cricket should consider as they aim for international success.