The time for excuses is over. That’s what Afghanistan are telling themselves as they get ready for the ODI World Cup beginning on October 5.

The disappointment of falling agonisingly short of achieving the 292-run target in 37.1 overs in their must-win game against Sri Lanka in the ongoing Asia Cup still hurts the Afghans. But with the World Cup just a few weeks away, the Rashid Khans and Rahmanullah Gurbazs have put that behind and are focusing solely on the quadrennial showpiece, where Afghanistan will be making their third appearance.

The Hashamtullah Shahidi-led squad, which was announced on Wednesday, will have a 10-day camp in UAE beginning on Friday and go ahead with their preparation for the World Cup.

“We can’t look for excuses any longer. We now have enough experience in our squad, so it’s time for us to make a statement,” Afghanistan assistant coach Raees Ahmadzai told The Telegraph.

“We’ll first be going to Dubai, where there will be fitness programmes. The skills part will be done in Abu Dhabi thereafter. After nine to 10 days in the UAE, we’ll be heading to India around September 26,” Ahmadzai said.

Asked why they preferred Dubai and Abu Dhabi as venues for their pre-World Cup camp instead of coming to India early like the Netherlands did, Ahmadzai said: “We wanted our players to spend some time with their families after the Asia Cup and have a bit of rest as well ahead of a long and hectic tournament like the World Cup.

“Also, these are Asian conditions, after all. So, there’s not such a huge difference between India and the UAE in that regard. We’ll be fully focused on our preparation in the coming days.”