Rajput has long-term vision for Afghanistan
mumbai — While Afghanistan celebrate their lofty status as a Testplaying nation, far away in Mumbai, head coach Lalchand Rajput is busy plotting how to instil a fiveday temperament into a team more attuned to the hard-hitting nature of limited-overs cricket.
In a historic decision on Thursday, the International Cricket Council (ICC) granted Afghanistan and Ireland full membership, putting them in an elite group of 12 sides permitted to compete in the longest form of the game.
“It’s a great achievement for them. Every country would like to be called as a Test-playing country,” former India cricketer Rajput told Reuters in an interview.
“They have been working hard for the last couple of years. And this is the reward which they got after consistently performing, especially the last year has been very good.
“We started beating Test sides, we beat Zimbabwe, we beat Ireland. It’s a big thing for the sport in Afghanistan and its people. They are so passionate about cricket there.”
A former Mumbai batsman with a first-class average of close to 50, Rajput was manager of the India team that won the inaugural World Twenty20 in 2007.
In June last year, he was named head coach of Afghanistan, replacing former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq.
Having already played in multiple World Twenty20 events, the Asian side made a stellar debut in the 50-over World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2015.
They have also been impressive in the Intercontinental Cup, a firstclass competition for associate members.
Rajput feels the Afghan players are natural hard hitters of the ball and his job is to make them understand the need to spend more time in the middle instead of chasing quick runs.
“In the Intercontinental Cup we used to get out early, the maximum score used to be 250-300. But this year, we played against Ireland and you will be surprised we got over 500 runs for eight wickets declared,” he said.
“The captain (Asghar Stanikzai) got 145 and another guy got a hundred. So they are getting into the mode of scoring big hundreds. Slowly and steadily we will be there, we will improve.
“I can’t change it overnight, it will take some time. But we are going in that direction.”
Turning to matters with the ball, 18-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan looks a real prospect as he recently took 7-18 in a one-dayer against West Indies after a strong showing in the last edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) Twenty20 tournament.
Former captain and off-spinner Mohammad Nabi also gained exposure to the world’s top batsmen as Rashid’s team mate at the IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad franchise.
“We have the bowling. But yes, we have to look at options as well because in Test cricket you require people to take 20 wickets,” the coach added. —