Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO thanks India for helping them like 'elder brother'
Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Shafiq Stanikzai has appreciated the support of the Indian cricket board for being an 'elder brother' in helping them during their odd times. The statement came after the BCCI confirmed that India is going to host Afghanistan’s inaugural Test match in 2018.
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“When I took over as CEO in 2014, I made a personal request to our President Ashraf Ghani to help us have a good diplomatic relationship with BCCI. I remember when I was in Scotland in 2015, I got a phone call from Ghani saying he had conveyed my message to
In the recently-concluded ODI series against Ireland, Team Afghanistan won the first clash but lost the rest two which resulted in their position loss in the ICC ODI rankings as now they featured at the 11th spot.
“The last week has been a shocker both for players and the Afghan board. We got beaten by Ireland in an ODI series in our home conditions in Sharjah. We lost our 10th position, that we had for the last two years. The team had just landed from Dubai when we got the news. It was really pleasing. The whole country welcomes the news of us playing Test cricket, that too against India. This will be important for Afghanistan, both politically and cricket-wise. We all have dreamt of playing Test cricket one day and we are happy to reach this stage. But the real challenge starts now,” he added.
This is not the first time when the Indian board stands to offer help the nation as earlier Greater Noida cricket stadium has officially become the home ground of Afghanistan Cricket team. Even in the Indian Premier League, Afghanistan players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi got a chance to display their skills and impressed as well.
“The entire nation is very happy. Earning Test status was a dream come true for the entire country. The response has been great. The news was all over radio, TV, newspapers, everywhere. For a team like Afghanistan, it’s a great thing. I would like to thank BCCI for allowing us to play our inaugural Test match at their home. Everyone is excited here, but I feel the real competition starts now.”
The nation was always fought with the internal issues and security but apart from that, the players work hard to rise to the new heights of the game. Their all focus is on the upcoming games as the team is preparing for the World Cup qualifiers that will be held next year in Zimbabwe.
“I have been asked this many times now. I agree with what you say. The challenge for Afghanistan lies ahead when they play big teams. Since earning Test status, people here are expecting us to win everything. The expectations of people are sky-high. It won’t be an easy ride. We have to work harder than before. We have fought all odds to reach where we are today. We will give a good fight to any Test-playing nation,” the Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO stated.
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