Afghanistan National Cricket Team
BATSMEN
Asghar Afghan
Profile
Asghar Stanikzai is a middle-order batsman who represents Afghanistan. He made his international debut in the year 2009 against Scotland in Benoni. In the past few years, his leadership has taken the center stage and he is touted as one of the best leader Afghanistan cricket has seen.
He assumed the charge of the Afghanistan team from Mohammad Nabi in February 2015 and since then has taken his side from strength to strength. His litmus test came in the recently concluded ICC World Cup Qualifiers. Initially, Asghar wasn't a part of the tournament and his absence affected Afghanistan's performance massively. Afghanistan lost to Scotland, Zimbabwe and Hong Kong in their first three matches and they were almost out of the tournament in the first round.
In a desperate situation for his country, Asghar returned to the side only 2 weeks after having surgery to remove the appendix and his come back made a difference of leap and frogs to the side as they won three matches in a row and qualified for the World Cup. In a must-win encounter against Ireland, he was battling through pain, his team was in a spot of bother and he portrayed fortitude of the highest caliber and played a match-winning innings to take them over the finishing line.
Hashmatullah Shahidi
Profile
A solid left-hander, Shahidi is Afghanistan's anchor man most of the times. He will be expected to play the role of the anchor man. More aggressive players like Mohammad Shahzad, Zazai, Mohammad Nabi and Najibullah Zadran would be expected to bat around Shahidi.
Shahidi's strike rate has been a cause of concern but he would want to dig in deep during his innings to ensure he lays a solid foundation for the team. If Shahidi can hold one end up, Afghanistan will certainly end up surprising a few teams by the end of the tourney
Hazratullah Zazai
Profile
Hazratullah Zazai, in his brief career, is known for one stupendous innings - a 162 off 62 balls, the highest in a T20I, in Dehradun in February 2019 against Ireland. This was an innings of such extraordinary carnage, that it made him a household name in the cricketing fraternity overnight. In a country known for its spinners, and more spinners, Zazai was a welcome addition to the batting line-up so that the exemplary spinners had larger targets to defend.
In February 2019, he put the EA Cricket '07 players to shame, as he smoked a 62-ball 162* against Ireland in the third T20I at Dehradun. He smoked 16 sixes to carry Afghanistan to a massive total of 278 - also a world record. The sample space is still too small to draw a judgement, but Zazai is a likely contender for the upcoming World Cup in England, given that he could give Shahzad company at the top of the order to make for a formidable opening pair going forward.
What to expect in the 2019 WC?
An explosive left-hander, Zazai has all the traits of being the massive weapon that Afghanistan would want to unleash on their opponents. His partnership with Mohammad Shahzad will be another crucial factor that will decide their team's fate. The burly southpaw has an arc, an area which the bowlers would want to stay away from. Anything in his radar will disappear. Hardly someone who has any inhibitions, he might well have to curtail his instincts a bit if the new ball moves a bit. But if the English wickets are flat then this man can plunder runs at the pace of knots!
Relatively, new to the international scene and that might add to his advantage as he won't have any baggage of failures. His success or failure might be directly be proportional to Afghanistan's report card in the tournament.
Najibullah Zadran
Profile
A left-handed batsman who bowls right-arm off-break, Najibullah Zadran represented Afghanistan Under-19s in the 2011 Under-19 World Cup Qualifier in Ireland. He made his T20 debut in the Faysal Bank T20 Cup against Rawalpindi Rams for the Afghan Cheetahs. In the tournament, he scored 58 runs in his three appearances, at an average of 29 with a highest score of 51 not out.
Najibullah made his ODI debut against Ireland in July 2012 and scored 23 runs in his first game. His T20I debut came against India in September 2012 in the T20 World Cup.
Najibullah has been a good servant of the game for Afghanistan. Even though, he has failed to convert starts into big scores, Najibullah's current form is good. Courtesy of his exploits, Najib as he is fondly known among his team-mates was included in the Afghanistan squad for the ICC cricket World Cup 2015 in Australia and New Zealand.
He failed to replicate his successful run at the mega event scoring a modest 123 runs in 6 matches at an average of 24.60. The hard-hitting batsman was subsequently dropped from the national side.
Najibullah went back to First-Class cricket and honed his skills. In 2016, he slammed a 35-ball 60 in his comeback game against UAE which helped Afghanistan qualify for the main draw of the Asia Cup in Bangladesh.
It was no looking back for him since then as he became one of the mainstays of Afghanistan's batting. In 2017, he was announced the skipper of Afghanistan A for the tri-series in the rainbow nation involving India and hosts South Africa.
He lived up to his billing with a couple of fifties. Najibullah was included in the BPL draft for 2017 and Chittagong Vikings signed him up.
Noor Ali Zadran
Profile
Noor Ali Zadran is a right-hand batsman and right-arm medium pacer, currently a part of the Afghan cricket team. He cites Ricky Ponting as his inspiration and cricketing hero. Ali made his international debut for the Afghnistan U-17 team against UAE in 2004. Ali made his Twenty20 debut for Afghanistan in the 2007 ACC Twenty20 Cup against Oman.
Ali was a part of the rapidly rising Afghan team from 2008 to 2009 when it was promoted to Division Two allowing them to participate in the 2009 World Cup qualifiers. He made his List A debut in the qualifiers against Denmark. In the Super Eights, he scored 122 against Canada. Later the same year, he made his ODI debut for Afghanistan against Scotland and scored 45 runs in his first match.
Ali's first-class debut also came in 2009 against Zimbabwe XI and he scored a century on debut. In Afghanistan's second innings, Ali followed up his heroics in the first innings by hitting exactly a hundred and remaining unbeaten when the match was declared a draw. During Afghanistan's 2009 Netherlands tour, Ali made a brilliant 50 in the second innings that helped his team to a one wicket victory over the opposition. He continued performing at the first-class level in the Intercontinental Cup.
He made his T20I debut in the 2010 Quadrangular Twenty20 Series in Sri Lanka. Following that he was a part of Afghanistan's victorious 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier winning squad. In the same year, he made his maiden ODI century against Canada hitting 114 in Sharjah. Since then, Ali has been an integral part of both the ODI and T20I teams for Afghanistan.
Rahmat Shah
Profile
A right-handed batsman who also bowls useful leg-spin, Rahmat Shah is seen as the new-age Afghanistan batsman who is capable of playing in all formats of the game. With Afghanistan having gained Test status, Shah is one amongst those batsmen who will be expected to shore up an 'explosive but prone to collapses' middle-order.
Techinically adequate, Rahmat Shah made his first-class debut in Pakistan's domestic circles and was soon making his One Day International (ODI) debut for Afghanistan, in 2013, against Scotland in Sharjah. In fact, his first-class debut for Afghanistan came a week after his ODI debut, against the same opponents in Abu Dhabi.
Lack of proper opportunities meant that Rahmat was just a fringe player in the Afghanistan set-up and only became a regular on his comeback to the national team in 2016. He celebrated his call-up with a superb hundred against Scotland and since then has turned out to the bulwark of Afghanistan's middle-order. Political tensions back home meant that Afghaistan do not have a stable home base. Since 2017, they have secured United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Greater Noida (India) as their two home bases and Rahmat celebrated his team's first-ever ODI in Greater Noida with a series winning career-best 108 against Ireland.
He then followed it up with consistent contributions during the 2018 World Cup qualifiers as Afghanistan overcame a shocking start to emerge champions and thereby gain qualification for the 2019 World Cup, scheduled to be held in United Kingdom.
ALL ROUNDER
Samiullah Shinwari
Profile
Samiullah Shenwari is a right-handed batsman and a leg-break bowler, who plays for Afghanistan. He made his First-Class debut against Zimbabwe XI in August 2009. Shenwari was a part of the Afghan team that got promoted to Division Two, allowing them to participate in the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier, where they gained ODI status.
Shenwari made his ODI debut against Scotland in April 2009. He made his T20I debut in February 2010 against Ireland. Since then, Shenwari has been an important part of the Afghan team.
On March 1, 2014, Shenwari scored a brilliant 81 against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup, thus helping his team register their first ODI win against a Test playing nation. He put on a 164-run partnership along with Asghar Stanikzai for the sixth wicket, which is the fifth highest partnership for the sixth wicket in the history of ODI Cricket and the third highest ODI partnership for Afghanistan.
Shenwari has been a very useful allrounder for Afghanistan. Apart from being an economical bowler, Shenwari has been very handy with the bat as well. His current batting average is above 35 and he has also picked up more that 40 wickets in ODIs at an economy rate of under five. He has been a regular in the national side and is expected to be chosen in the playing XI for the World Cup 2015 as well.
Gulbadin Naib
Profile
An useful all-rounder, Naib batted lower down the order and was an useful change bowler - one who could chip in with a few overs of medium pace. Having begun his cricketing journey in 2008, it didn't take long for Naib to earn his first international cap - he made his debut against Canada in 2011.
Naib struggled to assert himself with both bat and ball and it didn't help that he wasn't offered a consistent run to cement his place in the national squad. Battling family health concerns, Naib kept going at the game that he loved and he earned a comeback in mid-2014 - during the tour of Zimbabwe. Things didn't go according to plan though and Naib fell out of the selectors favour - ahead of the 2105 World Cup.
Having had to reinvent himself, Naib's second avatar as a middle-order batsman bore fruit after he recalled in mid-2016. Batting in the middle-order, Naib's new found maturity was in show as he blasted an unbeaten 82 against Zimbabwe. It was followed by a streak of low scores, but with the team placing its confidence in him, Naib began to show signs of his undeniable talent. Pushed to open as Afghanistan's campaign in the 2018 World Cup qualifiers began to flounder, he returned with significant scores in the must win games against United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Ireland.
Mohammad Nabi
Profile
Sylhet Royals, Quetta Gladiators, Sunrises Hyderabad, St.Kitts and Nevis Patriots, Melbourne Renegades et al. Don't be surprised when you find the link between all these teams. Yes, it is Mohammad Nabi. From gully cricket as a 10-year-old to the finest of grounds all over the world. Nabi has conquered most of them.
Afghanistan struggles every day to cope up with life. Cricket like many other countries is not only a form of entertainment but a national hope. A hope of a new dawn. And Nabi has been the torchbearer of it since 2009. He is the complete player that every T20 team wants and thus the demand from varied franchises. You send him up the order, he can drop anchor. You send for the slog overs, he knows how to rip the skin of the ball. The team is in trouble, he veils himself as the glue. As an offie, Nabi can tease you with his loopy ones and wreck you with his quicker darts. As a fielder he is safe as a house.
Be it their first win in World Cups against Scotland in 2015 or their triumph against the eventual champions Windies in the 2016 T20 World Cup, Nabi was there. Even Gayle did the Gangnam dance after Afghanistan's win, Nabi was there. He slips into roles that you want him to. A quintessential all-rounder with supreme abilities.
Rightly so he became the first Afghan cricketer to be picked up by an IPL team. Sunrisers knew they had made a steal by pocketing a priceless asset at 30 lakhs. He might not be as mystique and eye-catching as Rashid Khan, or as flamboyant and dashing as Mohammad Shahzad. He is far from being as sharp as Dawlat or Shapoor Zadran but he is and will remain Afghanistan's guiding light for times to come. His tale on the cricketing field has followed a chronology like none else with elements of drama in it.
On a tour to India in the 2000s, he was noticed by Mike Gatting when he hit a ton against the visiting MCC side. He later went on to play for the MCC, making his first-Class debut with them. Nabi rose to fame when he took 11 wickets in the 2009 ICC World Cricket League Division Three, helping Afghanistan to progress to the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifier. After Afghanistan gained ODI status in that tournament, Nabi made 58 in his debut game against Scotland.
In Afghanistan's debut First-Class match during the Intercontinental Cup, Nabi made 102 in their first innings against Zimbabwe XI. In the next year, Nabi made his T20I debut in February 2010 against Ireland. Later that year Nabi was named as the Afghanistan captain for the Asian Games but Nawroz Mangal was restored back to the position soon after the tournament.
Nabi played for the Afghan Cheetahs team which competed in the Faysal Bank T20 Cup in Pakistan in 2011-12. In 2013, Nabi turned up for the Bangladesh Premier League side Sylhet Royals and helped his team reach the semi-finals with some splendid performances. He took 16 wickets in 13 games and was one of the top batsmen in the tournament.
Nabi led Afghanistan's successful campaign in the 2014 Asia Cup when they defeated Bangladesh, their first win over a Test playing nation. Although that was the only victory they achieved in the tournament, the country won many hearts across the world with a gritty show. He was also chosen to lead the side during the 2015 World Cup as well. Since then the Afghanistan juggernaut with Nabi as one of the wheels has gained more pace with them being awarded Test status by the ICC. Expect Nabi to be there as well!
Rashid Khan
Profile
Rashid Khan perhaps has claims to the best cricketing teenage of his times. At eighteen, he not just matured to become an indispensable ration for the Afghanistan cricket team but also flaunted an elusive contract from the cash-rich Indian Premier League, a market that prides itself on being agonizingly indifferent to the concepts of sentimentalism.
Rashid made his One-Day International debut for Afghanistan against Zimbabwe in October 2015, and rallied on to make his Twenty20 International debut against the same team later that month.
Marketing leg-spin's modern face with chic, Rashid outnumbers legbreaks with googlies, something he has perfected into a reliable and somewhat retaliatory weapon, and executes it without being ever so predictable. Having doted on Shahid Afridi's modus operandi since childhood, Rashid bowls similar lines - linear, from stump to stump - and does so at quick pace, rebelliously using his fingers more than the wrists, thus not allowing the batsman any time to shimmy out and get to the pitch of the ball. He is soon graduating into a good first-class bowler, too, evidenced by his eight-wicket match tally in Afghanistan's innings win over Ireland in the ICC Intercontinental Cup match at Greater Noida.
As much as his visible profile may belie, Rashid is an agile fielder who is well capable of putting in the dives, and then excels at clearing the big ropes in the slog overs to top it all. His growing all-round skills pave a way for him into most international sides going around, thus pitting him as someone who is readying to trail-blaze Afghanistan to better times. And from eighteen and onward, he is only going to get better. And stronger.
IPL through the years
Spin to the right. Spin to the left. Skid on straight. You are never quite sure of what Rashid Khan is gonna serve. Labelled as a legspinner, Rashid Khan has a rainbow of variations in his bowling armoury and has been the most-sought bowler, since his debut, in leagues all around the globe. Interestingly, a lot of batsmen struggle to pick his variations as Rashid Khan barely alters his arm-speed while delivering the ball. In February 2017, Rashid fetched the highest bid for any Associate nation player ever, eventually having been bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for INR 4 crore at the same auction that abandoned world's top-ranked limited-overs bowler Imran Tahir, 38 then, red-faced with no bids whatsoever.
Rashid Khan soon became a vital cog in Sunrisers' line-up and his ability to bowl at any stage during the game made him almost indispensable in the side. A gun fielder, Rashid Khan proved his batting and catching credentials in the 2018 edition and made quite a few headlines for grabbing a one-handed stunner at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru to dismiss Colin de Grandhomme near the boundary ropes.
What to expect in the 2019 WC?
Thy name is enough. Khan. Rashid Khan. He might not be any James Bond. But his quick arm bowling action does infuse a lot of fear in the minds of certain batters. A deadly googly to go with a ripping leggie, Rashid is someone who can turn it even on a glass top. In IPL 2019, he didn't have the best time as batters looked to play him out. But scoring against him was as usual very tough.
Down the order, Rashid also can bat. And as an outfielder, expect some moments of magic which might make it into the final highlights reel of the World Cup. An impact player, Rashid Khan in simple words is a multi-dimensional player. His combination with Mujeeb might as well turn out to be one of the talking points of the WC.
WICKET KEEPER
Mohammad Shahzad
Profile
Afghanistan's famous wicket-keeper Mohammad Shahzad is one of their most celebrated batsman with his name in the history books for several memorable performances.
Shahzad made his first-class debut against Zimbabwe XI in the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifiers. Later that year, in the tour to Netherlands, he became the first Afghan player to hit a ton in an ODI game, scoring 110 and helping Afghanistan achieve their maiden first-class win.
In February 2010, he made his T20I debut against Ireland. Later, in the same month, at the age of 22, he became the first Afghan to score a first-class double century when he scored 214* in Afghanistan's successful chase of 494 runs to beat Canada in the Intercontinental Cup.
In January 2012, he played in the side put together to face England as a part of their preparation for the series against Pakistan. During the match, he made two half century scores, which saw him become the first Afghan cricketer to make 1000 first-class career runs. He is also the first Afghan cricketer to pass 1000 runs in List A cricket.
Shahzad was a part of the 2014 Asia Cup squad but did not produce any important performances for the team. However, he had a better run in the World T20 that followed. In a match against Hong Kong, Shahzad helped Afghanistan chase 153 with a brilliant 68 and was also adjudged as the Man of the Match for that game.
What to expect in the 2019 WC?
Mohammad Shahzad is another MS in world cricket who doesn't need much of an introduction. This will be his maiden appearance in a fifty over's World Cup. And expect him to leave a mark on the big stage. He might not be the fittest athlete but trust him to trust his methods which have bought him success.
Behind the wickets as well, he is effective and would keep the batters on their toes. His 100 against India in the 2018 Asia Cup was one of the instances where he showcased that he could tear apart any bowling line up on a given day. A huge MS fan himself, it might well be a coincidence that his first World Cup might be his idol's last.
BOWLER
Aftab Alam
Profile
Aftab Alam is a right-arm pacer better known for his 3 for 18 in the Asian Cricket Council Under-15 Cup in April 2005 against Qatar. He was also a part of the Afghanistan Under-19 squad for the 2010 World Cup in New Zealand and finished as the leading wicket-taker for Afghanistan with 12 scalps.
Alam made his ODI debut in February 2010 against Canada and has played only a handful of games since then. His T20I debut came against Ireland in March 2012. Alam also aspires to be a bowling coach in future.
He picked up his best ODI bowling figures of 3/48 against Scotland in January 2015. Even though he has not been a regular in the national side over the years, Alam was included in the 15-member squad for the World Cup 2015.
Dawlat Zadran
Profile
Dawlat Zadran is a genuine pace bowler of the Afghanistan cricket team who once clocked 145.3kph during the Asia cup in 2014. He made his ODI debut against Canada in 2011 and since then has been a regular fixture in the Afghanistan team.
Dawlat's most significant moment as a bowler came in an ICC WC qualifier warm-up match when his hat-trick inspired his team to a victory against highly fancied Windies by 29 runs. Afghanistan went on to defeat Windies twice in the tournament and win the competition.
He is pretty handy with the willow in his hand and is responsible for one of the finest finishing effort in an ODI match, he smashed four sixes in the last seven balls to see his side through in a fascinating encounter against Zimbabwe in 2014.
Dawlat would consider himself highly unfortunate as he hurt his knee during a training session and was ruled out for Afghanistan's historic inaugural Test match against India. He will have to patiently wait for his Test debut.
Hamid Hassan
Profile
Tall and lanky at 6’5”, Hamid Hassan is a right-arm pacer who plays for Afghanistan. He has also appeared for the Marylebone Cricket Club, MCC Young Cricketers and Pakistan Customs. With no cricket in his family background, Hassan did not receive much encouragement from his family. However, he was passionate about cricket and started to make waves in the junior ranks.
Hassan first got noticed in 2006 while playing for Afghanistan against MCC and earned high praise from the likes of Mike Gatting and John Stephenson. He then toured England later that year, playing games against the second XIs.
Hassan made his ODI debut for Afghanistan in the World Cup Qualifier in 2009. He ended the tournament becoming the second leading wicket-taker with 18 wickets. Although, Afghanistan did not qualify for the World Cup, they earned ODI status. Hassan's fine efforts in the slog overs and 12 crucial wickets, also helped his side to qualify for the World T20 2010 in the West Indies. Afghanistan lost both their games in that tournament, but Hassan put up a decent show against India and South Africa.
While international opportunities were few, Hassan kept on performing consistently at the domestic level. During Afghanistan's tour to Scotland in 2010, he took his first five-fer in First-Class cricket in the Intercontinental Cup. It was also his maiden 10-wicket haul as Afghanistan won by 229 runs. For the next two Intercontinental Cups, he registered some exceptional figures, handing Afghanistan huge victories. Hassan also won a silver medal at the 2010 Asian Games cricket competition.
Hassan has also played for the Afghan Cheetahs team in the Faysal Bank T20 Cup in 2011-12. In 2012 he was bought by Barisal Burners for a reported amount of $40,000 to play in the Bangladesh Premier League.
Hassan played only one game in the 2014 Asia Cup but was very economical, registering figures of 2/26 in the match against Bangladesh. After making his T20I debut against Scotland in 2010, Hassan has turned out to be a crucial bowler, who has picked up important wickets whenever needed.
His best bowling performance came recently against UAE on December 4, 2014. In that game, he picked up five wickets for 45 runs, but Afghanistan still ended up on the losing side.
Mujeeb Ur Rahman
Profile
Unlike the stereotypical Afghan success story involving war-stricken and plagued backgrounds, Mujeeb Ur Rahman's is the trend-breaker. Having grown up in a mansion in Khost, Mujeeb developed a keen interest in cricket while watching the 2012 World T20.
Blessed with his own private practicing facilities, Mujeeb discovered his aptitude for spin bowling trying to squeeze a tennis ball between his fingers to bowl off-breaks and carom balls. Over time, Mujeeb started to develop some strength and could propel the ball further with a flick of the finger. The millennial spinner was also helped by Youtube videos of Ajantha Mendis and started to attend his first cousin's (Noor Ali Zadran) cricket academy to hone his skills.
WIth a plethora of difficult-to-decipher variations, he rose through the ranks to represent Afghanistan at the highest level at the tender age of 16. As Rashid Khan's apprentice in the team, the hype around him has been handled rather well by the teenager and has been backed up by some spell-binding performances by the prodigy.
Mujeeb played a vital role in thrashing Bangladesh 3-1 in their own backyard, in one of his first international assignments. His peak in youth cricket came during a spell of 7/19, defending a paltry total of 133 and exhibited his ability to perform in pressure situations. Mujeeb ended the landmark series picking up a record 17 wickets in the tournament, and this was just the beginning.
An Asia Cup performance that included 20 wickets in 5 games, including game-changing performances in the semi-final and final signaled his arrival in international cricket. A ravaging performance against Ireland in the ODI series in December 2017, and some brilliant performances in the U-19 World Cup, including a 4-for to knock out hosts New Zealand in the quarter-final. Moreover, with Afghanistan being awarded Test status, this is the perfect platform for Mujeeb to etch his name in history as one of the first greats for Afghanistan as a full member.
He may have been a 17-year-old with a four-crore INR deal, from a war-torn nation which had thus far produced only two IPL players, but Mujeeb was clearly unfazed by the enormity of what he'd achieved. KXIP's think-tank too seemed to have placed a lot of trust in the youngster in 2018, who despite the presence of several international stars, made it to the first eleven, thus becoming the youngest ever to play in the IPL, and played a crucial role in his side's victories in the first half of the season. This included bamboozling many a batsman, including Virat Kohli, and he was more than happy to bowl the tough overs in the match, towards the death and in the powerplay.
Adding to the records, Mujeeb also became the first player born in the 21st century to play Test cricket when he made his debut against India in Afghanistan's inaugural Test match in 2018. Incidentally, the his Test debut was also his first-class debut.
Mujeeb not only firmly established himself as a vital cog for Afghanistan across formats but also proved to be a valuable asset for the various franchises he represented around the globe. Tournaments he's played in include the IPL, PSL, BPL, BBL, CPL, LPL and The Hundred amongst others.
Ajantha Mendis might not be a household name anymore but the species made famous by him still find habitats to survive. Mujeeb belongs to the 'mystery' spinner species. His strength is his nagging accuracy and of course the judicious use of carrom ball. Mysteries can be solved but this one is here to stay for a long time.
