Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup preparation has been far from ideal in the aftermath of the country’s takeover by the Taliban in August, but captain Mohammad Nabi stays hopeful of an impressive showing by his team that can bring about some joy back home.

Due to visa issues, the Afghan team arrived late in the UAE and a bit undercooked, having played only three T20Is versus Zimbabwe since March last year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“It’s not that ideal,” Nabi said on Sunday, ahead of Afghanistan’s opening Super 12 game versus Scotland at Sharjah. “There were some issues when we arrived in Dubai, but the last two warm-up games and practice sessions helped us prepare well.

“The fans are really waiting for this, because the only happiness in Afghanistan is cricket.”

Afghanistan have made a name for themselves as a strong bowling attack and will be relying on their spin trio of Nabi, Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman. “The biggest thing is to try and put the pressure back on them,” said Scotland batsman Calum MacLeod.

“You have to find a method of putting the pressure back on them, be it with sweeping or coming down the wicket. Whatever your method is, you’ve got to stick to it.”

Very few teams take Afghanistan lightly in the shorter formats, and their growing stature is reflected in their automatic qualification for the Super 12 stage as a top-eight side.