Curated By: Aakash Biswas
Last Updated: (*20*)December 08, 2023, 12:18 IST
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has performed a serious position in uplifting the sport of cricket in Afghanistan through the years. At the identical time, the Indian Premier League (IPL) additionally helped the Afghan gamers develop into world sensation. It actually mirrored in the recently-concluded ICC ODI World Cup 2023 in which Afghanistan ended sixth on the tally with 8 factors, securing a spot in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Former captain Mohammad Ashghar Afghan additionally believes that it’s the Indian cricket board which helped them painting themselves as a aggressive facet in the worldwide circuit whereas the IPL polished the Afghan gamers a lot that they’re now being named among the many prime athletes across the globe.
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“Honestly, BCCI has played a big role in Afghanistan’s cricket development. They supported us a lot. Since 2014 till date, BCCI has been very supportive. We were given a home ground. Afghanistan loves cricket and its cricketers,” Ashghar instructed The Times of India in an unique interview.
A memorable interplay with MS Dhoni
Afghan, who performed 6 Tests, 114 ODIs and 75 T20Is, recalled a light-hearted dialog with legendary MS Dhoni through the Asia Cup 2018.
The India vs Afghanistan recreation in Dubai noticed the latter stepping again into the captain’s footwear as stand-in skipper Rohit Sharma was rested. Chasing 253, India wanted 7 runs off the final six balls however Rashid Khan’s brilliance didn’t permit the lads in blue to cross the end line and the sport ended in a tie.
Once the sport ended, Afghan had a protracted chat with Dhoni which he recalled through the interview.
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“After the tied match, I had a long chat with MS Dhoni. He is a superb captain and a god’s gift to Indian cricket. He is a nice human being. We spoke about Mohammad Shahzad a lot. I told Dhoni Bhai that Shahzad is your big fan. Dhoni said Shahzad has got a big tummy and if he loses 20 kg, I will pick him in the IPL,” Afghan mentioned.
“But when Shahzad returned to Afghanistan after the series, he gained 5 more kgs,” he added.
