Michael Vaughan thinks Afghanistan is second best Asian team, not Pakistan

Former England captain Michael Vaughan recently praised Afghanistan's cricket team, ranking them as the second-best in Asia for white-ball cricket following their historic victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup 2024 Super 8 match.

Vaughan highlighted Afghanistan's skilled players and the effective leadership of Rashid Khan, emphasizing that their impressive performances are becoming more expected rather than surprising.

"It’s no surprise anymore that Afghanistan produce performances like we have just witnessed .. Extremely skilful set of players and brilliantly led by Rashid Khan," he added.

In a separate statement, Vaughan reiterated his view on a different platform, affirming that Afghanistan has now solidified their position as the second-best team in white-ball cricket in Asia.

Afghanistan defended their total of 148-6 by bowling out Australia for 127 runs in 19.2 overs during the match.

Key contributions included Naveen-ul-Haq's 3-20 and Gulbadin Naib's 4-20, with Glenn Maxwell's 59 being Australia's sole significant innings.

Afghanistan's opening pair of Gurbaz (60 off 49) and Zadran (51 off 48) set a strong foundation with a 118-run partnership.

Despite a late hat-trick by Pat Cummins, Afghanistan secured a memorable victory, marking their first win over Australia in six encounters.