Afghanistan leg-spin sensation Rashid Khan excited by transition to Test cricket

Sudhir Gupta 13:15 05/06/2018
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  • A key role: Rashid Khan

    In less than 10 days, Rashid Khan and his Afghanistan team-mates will be creating history when they take the field at Bengaluru for their country’s maiden Test in history against hosts India.

    Rashid, who had a highly successful campaign with the Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, is currently the No1 ranked T20I bowler in the world. Having picked up 21 wickets in this year’s IPL, Rashid is none too perturbed about making the transition to the red ball.

    “Being a Test cricketer is not a lot different to playing ODIs and T20s,” the Afghan teenager was quoted as saying by the Press Trust of India.

    “I have done well in whatever four-day opportunities that I have got. If I make changes in my bowling thinking about the Test, it will not be good for me. I will bowl with the same speed I have been bowling so far,” he stated.

    “I have to make sure that I don’t panic. I know there will be a phase where I won’t pick up a wicket for 20 overs. And I could pick up two in two overs. It is Test cricket,” Rashid added.

    The Afghan sensation is currently with the rest of the squad in Dehradun where they are taking on Bangladesh in a three-match T20I series. Such is the life of a professional cricketer that Rashid has not been to his home in Afghanistan in over a year but he remains determined to bring joy to his troubled homeland.

    Rashid has not been back home for over a year due to his commitments.

    Rashid has not been back home for over a year due to his commitments.

    “I have not gone home in a year. I miss my family and friends a lot. It also hurts a lot to hear about blasts back home. Even in the IPL when there was a blast in my hometown, I was really upset. I lost a friend in that,” Rashid said.

    “Another one of my friend had called me that day and asked why I was not my usual smiling self in the game.

    “So, all these incidents do affect me a lot but I try to keep myself in the best possible frame of mind to give a good performance on the field so that the troubled people back home get something to cheer about.”

    The one-off Test between India and Afghanistan gets underway on June 14 at the Chinnaswamy stadium in Bengaluru.

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