Ready to switch it on in Test cricket, claims Rashid Khan
Afghanistan's new skipper Rashid Khan has said that his team was ready to 'switch it on' in Test Cricket, ahead of the one-off Test against Bangladesh in Chittagong. After the conclusion of the World Cup, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had named Rashid as the captain of all formats.
The Afghanistan team arrived in Dhaka on August 3 and were soon shifted to Chittagong to let the visitors acclimatize with conditions before the start of the first Test on September 5. While the 20-year-old Rashid Khan will lead the team, former captain Asghar Afghan will be his deputy.
"I am pretty excited with the new role [as the captain] and the team. I will try my best to be positive and enjoy the game," Rashid told reporters upon arrival at Dhaka, according to Cricbuzz.
After years of excelling in white-ball cricket, the Afghanistan team were given Test status in 2017 along with the long-deserving Ireland side, and yet in two years later, their form in the longest format hasn't shaped up well. In the two Test matches that they've played so far, they've faced convincing defeats against India and Ireland. But their new captain Rashid is hopeful as his team is aware of the enormity of the challenge that is ahead, especially since Bangladesh are really strong on their home soil.
"It is different[ Test format] and you have to have different kind of mentality for that," Rashid said. "You have more time and certainly there is more pressure in the Test cricket. As a player you need to switch on and switch off being playing like in T20, in ODI's and in Test cricket and we are ready for that.
"We have that mental preparation and we have worked on how to play four-day cricket, five-day cricket. We have worked on that, we have had a good practice camp before coming here. Inshaallah we will try our best to do positive and do well in the game," he added.
"They are playing well and especially in the World Cup they were unbelievable," Rashid said. "Their cricket improved day by day and as a team we need to take it positively. We prepare well for each and every team and it will be a good series for us," he said.
Afghanistan will start their campaign in Bangladesh with a two-day practice game at Chittagong before the start of the Test series. Following the one-off match, they will play a tri-nation T20I series, also involving Zimbabwe as the third team.
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