Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi supports Afghan women playing cricket but says his team has no control over it means we have no control of politics. Before their big Champions Trophy match against England, he said they only focus on cricket, not other matters like politics.
Source: Sky Sports
“Everyone wants to see everyone play,” Shahidi said. “But we are cricketers, not politicians. We can only play the game and do our best on the field.”
People in the UK have criticized Afghanistan because our women in the country are not allowed to play cricket. More than 160 UK politicians asked the England cricket board to not play against Afghanistan. Even UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer told the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take action. But in the end, England still played the match.
Shahidi: “We Work Hard, We Play Hard”
Despite all the outside talk, Shahidi said his team is focused on playing good cricket.
Source: News18
“We are sportsmen,” he said. “We can only control what we do in the game. We practice hard, we train hard, and we focus on cricket.”
Afghan cricketers Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi have also supported women’s rights. They were sad when Afghan women were not allowed to become doctors last year.
Afghanistan’s coach, Jonathan Trott, also shared his thoughts.
“The players are in a tough spot,” Trott said. “They know what is right and wrong. They play cricket to make the people happy, but they also know some things in the country are not fair.”
Afghanistan vs. England—A Must-Win Match
Afghanistan is preparing for an important match against England. Both teams lost their first game, so they must win this one. Afghanistan lost to South Africa, and England lost to Australia.
Shahidi admitted that his team does better when they bat first. He also said the pitch in Karachi was not good for their spin bowlers in the last game.
“We like batting first,” he said. “But we can also chase well. The pitch in the last game helped fast bowlers, not spinners. Hopefully, tomorrow’s pitch will be better for us.”
Afghanistan’s Big Win Against England
Afghanistan beat England by 69 runs in the 2023 World Cup. Their spin bowlers took eight wickets and helped secure a big victory. Now, they hope to do it again in the Champions Trophy.
Now, Afghanistan is hoping for another big win to stay in the Champions Trophy. Even with all the problems outside cricket, the players just want to play their best and make their country proud.
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