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Rashid Khan can’t do much about “some things which is not under the control of anyone in cricket,” but he thinks “we could do something and wish there was a solution for it.” The Afghanistan T20I skipper was answering a question about whether their victory over Australia on Saturday night in St. Vincent at the T20 World Cup provided them more joy.
The topic was framed against the backdrop of Cricket Australia’s unilateral decision to withdraw from bilateral cricket matches with Afghanistan citing “a marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls” in that nation. Cricket Australia had to cancel a three-match Twenty20 International series against Afghanistan earlier this year. For the same reason, CA has also decided to postpone hosting a one-time Test.
At the news conference following the game, Rashid Khan remarked, “Well, we are sportsmen, and we love sports.” “Back home, sports are really popular. As I already stated, the only thing that brings me joy in my hometown is cricket. In Afghanistan, that’s the sole remaining source of joy and celebration. Furthermore, I’m not sure where Afghanistan will end up if we keep that source hidden from us.
As athletes, all we can think about is cricket. Everyone claims that sports unite the country and people from all walks of life. We’re always glad to play against any team, in my opinion, since that’s the only way our cricket can get better every day. In cricket, there are certain aspects that are out of our control and over which we have no control. We would have been thrilled if we could have taken action and if there had been some sort of solution, but I’m not sure what that would be.”
After CA opted to postpone their ODI series, Rashid Khan has threatened to leave the Big Bash League in 2023.
Rashid Khan public position echoed a chorus of complaints from the male cricket players in Afghanistan, not long after ACB had called the CA’s statement regarding their refusal to play Afghanistan because of the human rights crisis “pathetic.”
Eventually, Rashid Khan changed his mind and entered the draft, but an ailment kept him out of the competition. Rashid Khan reaffirmed on Sunday that while they enjoy playing for the squad, they have no direct influence over anything that take place outside of cricket.
We’re willing to take sides, but as I’ve already stated, I’m not very knowledgeable about politics and the government, and I don’t like it. I don’t know how to respond to this, but all I can think of is how much I like playing against the best teams. I enjoy travelling to play all around the world, and I have experienced an abundance of affection from everyone.
“I believe the fans in Australia have shown me so much love and support every time I travel there for Big Bash. They’ve shown me so much affection. When we played Australia in Adelaide during the 2022 T20 World Cup, I received more support than they did. And that gave me a great sense of satisfaction.”
Rashid Khan, who plays for the Adelaide Strikers, referred to the Adelaide crowd as “family” and recalled the affection and support he had gotten in the wake of his father’s death during the 2019 BBL. However, he insisted that “cricket isn’t the solution for politics.”
“Every city I play in in Australia has given me a tonne of support. The kindness I experienced in Australia, particularly in the difficult days following my dad’s death in 2019—that was the most trying period for me while I was there. I consider the fans and the squad to be my family because of the love and support I received from them all.
However, as I’ve already mentioned, I enjoy playing everywhere. I don’t think we can incorporate sports into those things that are out of our control, and cricket is not the answer. You can accept a different solution if one exists. But don’t believe that cricket is the answer to problems with politics or anything else like that.
“So, yes, why don’t we play in bilateral series if we participate in the World Cup? We seem content to play the best team, in my opinion. From them, we get knowledge. We improve every day. However, that is all I have to say.”
India
