‘Did it in a short time, not 13-14 years’
I didn’t know Bangladesh is going to play against Afghanistan. Hopefully Afghanistan will win that football match as well. They have strong players, many of whom play in European conditions. There are few players who are my friends as well so I hope they will win it.
Mohammad Nabi
Afghanistan all-rounder
Former stalwarts of the Bangladesh national team such as Aminul Islam, Akram Khan and many others retired before the country got its first taste of success in Tests five years after getting Test status in 2000.
However that is one experience veteran Afghanistan all-rounder Moahmmad Nabi, who announced his retirement from the format following the one-off Test against Bangladesh, will gladly forgo. Nabi will retire with the satisfaction of having helped Afghanistan win two of the three Tests the side have played so far.
Afghanistan won the solitary Test against the Tigers by a whopping 224 runs at the Zahur Ahmed Chowdhury stadium in Chattogram yesterday to provide the perfect farewell for Nabi.
Nabi credited the win to his country’s domestic structure, which stands strong despite the many limitations in a war-raved nation like Afghanistan, stating that with the way things are shaping up, the future seems bright.
“It is a historical win because in this format, we are new. We have played only three games against India, Ireland and Bangladesh, of which we won two. It means we are good in this format and that our domestic structure is strong. The youngsters, the way they play and adjust to conditions, it’s really a brilliant team. Maybe the youngsters who will play in this format have a bright future,” Nabi told reporters yesterday.
“I dreamt of playing Test cricket for Afghanistan. We worked really hard for this in a short time, not in 13 or 14 years, we achieved that target within eight to seven years. We played the inter-continental cup three times, winning twice while being runner-ups once. I am very happy to be a part of that generation of Afghanistan. My plan is that the youngsters should be prepared for the next Tests as they are our future. That’s why I am leaving Tests and focusing on one-day internationals and T20s,” continued Nabi.
According to the 34-year-old, the experience of playing in the Bangladesh Premier League T20 competition alongside his national team skipper, Rashid Khan, for the past three to four years helped them plan for the Test against Bangladesh. Nabi also cited the team combination, which was missing during their disappointing World Cup campaign, as a reason behind the current success.
Comments