Shock defeats have shaken things up at Cricket World Cup

As unpredictable as it can be, sport generally rewards teams for consistency, and while it isn’t unusual to see a lower-ranked side spring a surprise, it is rare to see them punching above their weight at a major championship.

With only four spots available in the playoffs after the 10-team round-robin stage at the Cricket World Cup, any squads with title ambitions must perform well throughout the tournament.

And with spectacular shock victories over England and Pakistan, Afghanistan have managed to line themselves up with a chance of progressing to the next round.

They have some big games still to play, but they also have matches against a struggling Sri Lankan team and the Netherlands, who are the lowest-ranked side at the global showpiece, and if they can win both those fixtures, they will give themselves a real chance.

It will be a remarkable breakthrough for the Afghans, who received full ODI status 20 years ago and have since climbed to No 9 in the world rankings.

Though they have competed at two previous editions of the 50-over World Cup and six editions of the T20 World Cup, they have never reached the playoffs, and if they can take the step up it will show how much progress they have really made.

Rising minnows

And they’re not the only team to have sprung a surprise in India, with the Netherlands having delivered a shock of their own against the Proteas.

Not only have these results given lower-ranked sides reason to celebrate, but they have also blown the competition wide open in the race for the semi-finals.

It is the first World Cup since 1992 at which all teams have won at least one game, and this unpredictability is evident in the bizarre state of the table.

Midway through the competition, five-time champions Australia (fourth place) are equal on points with unfancied Afghanistan (sixth), while defending champions England are lying bottom of the standings.

In any World Cup tournament, closely contested matches are always more thrilling, so it’s good to see newer teams sticking their hands up and giving traditional powerhouses a shake.

Having more sides who are able to compete at the highest level can only be good for the game of cricket.