Ahmadzai: Asghar will not give us the World Cup

Afghanistan’s chief national selector Dawlat Ahmadzai said that under the leadership of new ODI captain Gulbadin Naib, the team has better chances in the World Cup.

Afghanistan chief national selector
Dawlat Ahmadzai made it clear
that Gulbadin Naib will be able to
manage things as he comes in
with immense experience. (
FILE IMAGE) - GETTY IMAGES

The decision to remove Asghar Afghan as the skipper of Afghanistan, a month before the World Cup, has drawn flak from top cricketers of the country.

But Afghanistan’s chief national selector Dawlat Ahmadzai has defended the move saying that under the leadership of new ODI captain Gulbadin Naib the team has better chances in the World Cup.

“Afghanistan is a treasury of cricketing talent and we selected three captains for three formats. We are in a position to go for transition. And you know, Asghar will not give us the World (Cup). So, we went for better choice and option than Asghar,” Ahmadzai said.

He also made it clear that Gulbadin will be able to manage things as he comes in with immense experience.

“Gulbadin has been playing for 12 years as a regular member of the team, so he will handle the team (well),” Ahmadzai told Sportstar from Kabul on Friday.

Heaping praises on the newly-appointed ODI captain, Ahmadzai said: “Gulbadin has been captaining his region (Boost) in first class events regularly with a lots of success.”

The 28-year-old Gulbadin has been a batting all-rounder and featured in 52 ODIs and 38 T20Is for Aghanistan.

Ahmadzai, who has also served the captain of the national team, has played various roles in the set-up over the years, and made it clear that Asghar will continue to feature in the side as a regular player and will travel to England with the side.

“He is part of the team. We did not drop him,” he said.

Ever since the Afghanistan Cricket Board sacked Asghar as the captain, stars like Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi, lashed out at the selectors and referred to the selection process as ‘biased’.

Ahmadzai, however, was not willing to react to such allegations.

“As far Nabi and Rashid’s tweets are concerned, that’s their personal thoughts,” Ahmadzai, who first spotted Rashid at the domestic level, stated.

Despite repeated attempts, Asghar was not available for a comment on the issue.

The players, meanwhile, have left for South Africa to attend a three-week long training camp, leading to the World Cup.

Source : https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cricket/afghanistan-2019-world-cup-squad-dawlat-ahmadzai-asghar-afghan-gulbadin-naib-rashid-khan/article26750081.ece