‘Raring to play before home crowd’
LUCKNOW : There are 320 cricket clubs and six turf wickets in trouble-ridden Afghanistan but there is no international infrastructure for sports ready despite the game being the most popular sport in that country.
The situation is hurting the young skipper of the Afghanistan cricket team Rashid Khan who wants to play before the home crowd as soon as possible.
After being supported by Pakistan to let their cricket grow in the recent past, Afghan national cricket team is based in India on their hired ‘home grounds’, and the latest in the series after Noida and Dehradun is state capital’s Atal Bihari Vajpayee International Cricket Stadium.
“Yes, I miss my country and wish to play before the home crowd as soon as possible,” Khan said on Tuesday. “Country cricket is always important. In your country, you known things better and I hope peace would prevail in our country and soon we would play international cricket on real home turf,” the young all-rounder said.
“We never felt that we were playing outside our country since we made India our home ground in the last few years. Responses as well as stadiums are good at both Noida and Dehradun but here Lucknow stadium is best among them. After Adelaide, I haven’t seen such a wonderful stadium with a huge crowd capacity ever. For sure, we will enjoy our cricket here,” said Khan who would be leading the side in the home series against the West Indies starting November 6. He said during the last few years, standard of the game in Afghanistan has improved manifold and youngster are coming up with good performances in domestic cricket and that’s why the side has infused many a change in the side for the series.
Khan, who offered prayers at the ground after the team’s gruelling training on Tuesday and signed autographs and had selfies with cops and many of his fans, said his boys were looking for delicious non-vegetarian food in Lucknow.
“Have heard about the nonvegetarian foods of Lucknow and for sure we will try them as we have an off-day from practice on Wednesday,” said Khan.
“Over the next one month, we are here to play a lot of cricket and we will try to make it feel as our home ground. Hame lage na lage hum ise home ground bana denge,” he added.
Khan’s 10-minute session with a local spinner Saurabh at the venue remained the most interesting one for his fans. Ace leggie taught the boy about the finer points of the game especially how to grip the white ball when bowling a flipper or a quick leg break. Meanwhile, Afghanistan Cricket Board has named its
team for the series after the West Indies names its team for the series under the leadership of Kieron Pollard. AFGHANISTAN SQUAD
For ODI: Rashid Khan (captain), Asghar Afghan, Hazratullah Zazai, Rahmat Shah, Javed Ahmadi, Afsar Zazai, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Sharafudin Ashraf, Ibrahim Zadran, Yamin Ahmadzai, Naveen-ulHaq, Ikram Alikhil, Mujeeb-urRahman. For Twenty20: Rashid Khan (captain), Asghar Afghan, Hazratullah Zazai, Ibrahim Zadran, Javed Ahmadi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Gulbadin Naib, Mohammad
Nabi, Najibullah Zadran, Karim Janat, Sharafudin Ashraf, Fareed Ahmad, Yamin Ahmadzai, Naveen-ul-Haq, Sayed Ahmad Shirzad, Mujeebur-Rahman WEST INDIES SQUAD
For ODI: Kieron Pollard (c), Shai Hope, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Sunil Ambris, Nicholas Pooran, Brandon King, Roston Chase, Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh Jr., Khary Pierre, Sheldon Cottrell, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph, Romario Shepherd. For T20I: Kieron Pollard (c), Nicholas Pooran, Evin Lewis, Shimron Hetmyer, Sherfane Rutherford, Brandon King, Fabian Allen, Jason Holder, Hayden Walsh Jr., Lendl Simmons, Khary Pierre, Sheldon Cottrell, Denesh Ramdin, Kesrick Williams, Alzarri Joseph. For Test: Jason Holder (c), Shai Hope, John Campbell, Kraigg Brathwaite, Shimron Hetmyer, Shamrah Brooks, Roston Chase, Shane Dowrich, Sunil Ambris, Jomel Warrican, Rahkeem Cornwall, Kemar Roach, Keemo Paul, Alzarri Joseph