By crushing Sri Lanka by eight wickets in Group B of the Asia Cup in the UAE on August 27, Afghanistan made it clear they were not to be taken lightly despite having a wealth of talent in their lineup.
The mind-blowing spinner for Afghanistan, Rashid Khan, reveals the reason why his nation’s cricketers perform well in the game’s shortest format. He said that it may be because they participate in international domestic competitions and bring that expertise back to the squad. After left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi took three wickets to reduce the former Asia Cup champions to 105 in 19.4 overs, openers Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz gave the chase a rousing start.
The Afghanistan team will face Bangladesh in its second Group B match later in Sharjah on Tuesday. Rashid, whose batting and bowling skills have been honed in various T20 leagues around the world, including the Indian Premier League, told ESPNcricinfo that playing in T20 leagues compensates for his lack of Test cricket experience.
Read more: Hardik Pandya feels grateful to get the opportunities
Rashid Khan on their improvements
They don’t play a lot of longer format cricket, according to Rashid. It has nothing to do with the players and is all about the FTP (Future Tours Programme). They want to play a lot of international cricket so our kids can learn about the setting and develop their skills there. They have the chance to learn from the finest players because they compete in so many international leagues. Furthermore, they offer the worldwide team their expertise. Not only that, but they also tell the rest of the team about it.
Rashid stated that playing in more international leagues would be beneficial for their batting lineup. They will be there if there is a national duty. It always takes precedence. However, they are hoping to travel abroad more in the upcoming years.
Read more: Records and history were made during India vs Pakistan Match
