Netherlands all-rounder Colin Ackermann remains unfazed by Afghanistan's spin prowess as both teams vie for a spot in the World Cup semi-finals.
The Dutch team have surprised many by defeating strong teams like South Africa and Bangladesh, despite four losses in the tournament.
Afghanistan, on the other hand, has claimed three victories against defending champions England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan but also suffered three losses. They currently hold a two-point advantage over the Netherlands in the tight race for the last four spots.
Afghanistan has historically had the upper hand in their head-to-head clashes, winning seven ODIs and losing only two, with the last four encounters going in their favour.
The key to Afghanistan's success has been their world-class spin attack, with Rashid Khan securing seven wickets, Mujeeb Ur Rahman with six, and Mohammad Nabi and Noor Ahmad contributing three each.
Ackermann downplayed the threat, noting, "They've obviously got very good spinners that have been successful in T20 cricket, but this is a different format. You don't have to go after the spinners from ball one. I think the teams that have done well against them have kind of taken the game deep and not given them any wickets in the middle overs."
Ackermann remains optimistic after the Netherlands' 87-run victory over Bangladesh, believing that they have built momentum as they approach the crucial stage of the group games.
"The plan is to win tomorrow," said Ackermann. "Obviously, we got some momentum from our previous game, and that will give us a few positives."
Despite the odds, Ackermann and his team hold hopes of securing a surprise semi-final berth for the Netherlands. With India and South Africa almost assured of two of the four semi-final spots, Afghanistan and the Netherlands are in a race against five-time champions Australia and New Zealand to claim the remaining positions.
"Our focus is on the semi-final," said Ackermann, as his team prepares to face England on November 8 and India on November 12 in their upcoming matches.
