By Mohamed Bahaa
Renowned spinner Rashid Khan of Afghanistan has declared a major break from Test cricket since he is more focused on managing his ongoing back injury. Both Rashid and the Afghanistan Cricket Board gave much thought to this choice, realizing he needed to keep his fitness levels following surgery last year.
There have been questions over Rashid’s withdrawal from the forthcoming Test match against New Zealand, scheduled to start on September 9 in Greater Noida. But the 25-year-old cricket player’s decision to skip the five-day schedule fits with a pre-arranged strategy to progressively raise his post-operative workload.
“After the surgery, the strategy for Rashid was to slowly ramp up his activity levels. Taking a break from the longer format for six months to a year was part of this strategy,” a source from the Afghanistan Cricket Board said. “Test cricket demands consistent bowling from one end, and Rashid’s back isn’t ready for such strain yet. However, he is expected to be available for the ODI series against South Africa next month.”
Rashid missed four months following last year’s ODI World Cup in India after surgery. Returning at the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, he guided Afghanistan to the quarterfinal. Despite having back problems, he recently participated in three Shpageeza T20 League games in Kabul, displaying his consistent ability by accumulating six wickets in only three days.
Rashid has only five Test matches under his belt, but his record in limited- overs cricket is outstanding—103 ODIs and 93 T20s. Now getting ready for their one-off Test against New Zealand in Greater Noida, the Afghanistan team would much miss his presence in the longer format. However, some comfort comes from his planned return for the ODI series against South Africa, set to begin on September 18 in the UAE.
Apart from his back problems, Rashid also had a hamstring injury in the UK earlier this month during The Hundred. Despite these challenges, the cricket community is excited about his expected comeback to form in Afghanistan’s first-ever bilateral ODI series against South Africa.
