The difference between the two sides, particularly with the first game being washed out, has really been Rashid Khan, both with bat and ball. Rashid khan wickets changed the context of the first game mainly as he picked up 6 wickets as Ireland’s batters could not cope with the magic. So there is really no shame for Ireland in saying that Rashid Khan has been the difference between the two sides so far.
I want to focus a little bit on Afghanistan first because they are a fascinating team at the moment. They are on a long journey from being the underdogs globally to genuinely believing that they can beat anyone on their day. However, winning a global tournament is still a little way away for them.
There is no doubt that Afghanistan have global match-winners who can win them games. But I think they are in a transition period, particularly mentally. They are still working towards fully believing that they can beat the big teams consistently in a global tournament and then go on to win it. I think they are edging ever closer to reaching that mental state.
When you look at their side, they have stuck with a lot of the same names, and those players are getting better year in, year out. Jonathan Trott did a terrific job for them, and now he has moved on and the team has moved on as well. But I see good things for Afghanistan.
A lot of that, I think, depends on Rashid Khan continuing to play a central role. He was playing in The Hundred just a week or so ago, where he was a big-money player, and then he went straight from there to play international cricket for Afghanistan in this series against Ireland. That is a really good sign.
As long as Rashid remains central to their side moving forward, I think Afghanistan are in a very good place. This is an important series for them against Ireland, and they have built their side around strong batting and a powerful line-up.
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, in particular, is an important player. Ibrahim Zadran has also been around for a long time, and these players are going from strength to strength. Azmatullah Omarzai is a very fine all-rounder, while Rashid Khan obviously gives them a huge amount with both bat and ball. Fazalhaq Farooqi, with his left arm, is top-notch with the new ball. Then they have Rahmat and Hashmatullah in the middle.
They have a side that can compete with the very best. It is just that, mentally, I think they are shifting towards believing that they can do this on a more consistent basis. That is what makes them such an enjoyable team to watch, and I think they are moving very much in the right direction.
As far as Ireland are concerned, I think they have actually done pretty well in the second game. They were 128 for 8 and were really out of the game, but they found a way to fight back. Gavin Hoey had an excellent game. He is one to look out for as a leg-break bowler, and he took four wickets in the second game. He had also taken one for 54 in the first.
I think Ireland can still do more with their batting line-up. There is real potential there. Balbirnie and Stirling have been around for a long time, while they also have Tector, Tucker and Curtis Campher. That group around four, five and six has real potential to cause problems for opposing sides.
They certainly have the makings of a very good side. Mark Adair is also leading the bowling attack, alongside Hoey and his leg-spin. So there are plenty of positive signs for Ireland.
Obviously, they have also won the T20 series against India, and that will galvanise a lot of confidence within the team. That makes this a good series to watch out for.
I would not be surprised if Ireland come back into the series. Afghanistan have been led by their talisman in the first couple of games, with Rashid Khan making an impact with both bat and ball. But Ireland have shown that they have the ability to fight their way back into a game even when they appear to be out of it.
So there is plenty to look out for. It has been a pretty interesting series so far, and with two games still to go, there is certainly a lot more to come.
