Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan recently opined on Cricket Australia’s performance in the bilateral series between the two nations after their win over the cricketing giants in a 2024 T20 World Cup Super-Eight game as well. He wished the stakeholders could arrive at a solution but wasn’t sure what the players could do from their end as well.
However, Cricket Australia have decided against playing a bilateral series against Afghanistan, giving the example of the restriction of human rights for women and girls under Taliban rule as the reason. Australia was to host Afghanistan for a one-off Test in 2021, play an ODI series in March 2023, and a three-match T20I series in August 2024 but withdrew from all three as well.
Speaking at a presser after Afghanistan’s famous win over Australia in T20 World Cup 2024, Rashid Khan said, “We sportsmen only think about the cricket. Everyone is saying sports bring the nation together and bring everyone together. So, for me, we’re always happy to play against any side, and that’s the only way where our cricket can improve day by day. Some things which are not under the control of anyone in cricket, and that’s something we can’t do anything about it. Wish we could do something, and wish that was a kind of solution for it, we would have been happy, but I don’t know what’s the solution for that.”
However, Cricket Australia’s decision to pull out of the T20I series this year led Rashid to rethink his BBL stint as well. The leg-spinner, in
conversation with ESPNCricinfo questioned why Australia wanted him to play in the BBL when they won’t play in a bilateral series against his
national side as well.
“We’re happy to play any side, but as I mentioned earlier, some things, government, and political things, I don’t know much about these things, and I don’t like it as well. So, I have no answer for this, but my only thing always in mind is I love to play against the big teams. I love to travel all around the world to play and I have received so much so much love from everyone. Whenever I go to Australia for Big Bash, I think I have got so much love and support from the fans there,” Rashid Khan concluded.
