World Cup 2023: Virender Sehwag to Rashid Latif to Ian Bishop - Experts hail Afghanistan for slaying Sri Lanka

Add as a preferred source on Google

Afghanistan pulled off a stunning victory over Sri Lanka in the ICC World Cup 2023 match on Monday (October 30).

It was yet another clinical performance from the Afghan side, who defeated the Lankans quite comprehensively by 7 wickets.

They first restricted Sri Lanka to just 241 runs, and then chased the total down with ease. Three of their top five scored half-centuries as the Afghans won consecutive World Cup matches for the first time in their history.

Afghanistan now have registered three victories in the World Cup, and they have slayed down previous World Cup winners. They beat England, the reigning World Champions, and then got two more wins over Pakistan (1992 WC winner) and Sri Lana (1996 WC winner).

The cricketing world has taken notice of their amazing resurgence this year. There is a steady change in the Afghan cricket scenario and it is not just a fluke or a one-off victory, as things are evident that Afghanistan have taken a significant leap in the right direction.

After their victory over Sri Lanka, ex-cricketers and pundits across the globe hailed the Afghanistan team. Here are some of the reactions as the cricketing world took their hat off for the Afghan renaissance-

Former India player Virender Sehwag believes Afghanistan are the best improved side and also took a cheeky dig at Bangladesh, who are having a dismal outing in this tournament.

Former West Indies bowler and commentator Ian Bishop reacted after the Afghan victory.

"Afghanistan's success in this ICC World Cup shows what team unity can achieve at the global stage. This performance is bound to inspire a generation back in Afghanistan. Don't be surprise if you see world-class talent coming from Afghanistan in the next five years," says former Pakistan player Rashid Latif.

Irfan Pathan believes Afghanistan have those qualities to succeed in Indian conditions. He also praises at the control they showed while chasing the Lankan target.