International cricketers are considered celebrities whose lives are filled with glamour. However, there is a downside to such a life. Cricketers seldom get to spend time at home, the period of which had gotten even shorter due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
22-year-old Afghanistan sensation Rashid Khan is one of the most sought after players in T20 leagues across the globe and has turned matches for his team on his own. However, he has a few regrets.
The biggest of them is not being able to celebrate his success with his family in Afghanistan. He said that he has spent only 25 days at home in the last five years.
"In the last five years I’ve spent about 25 days at home, I didn’t have that opportunity to celebrate my achievement with the family because I was just so busy. I forgot my achievements and that hurts sometimes. I don’t get enough time to be with the family but at the same time it is the start of my career so I have to struggle.” Rashid Khan told Guardian.co.uk.
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Another thing that hurts him is not being able to play in front of the home crowd in Afghanistan cheering for him and his team.
The war-hit country is bracing for another round of uncertainty with USA’s impending exit. This makes it unlikely for the arrival of international cricket in the country anytime soon.
“Wherever I go I see international players playing at home in front of their crowds, getting the support, getting all the love; we so much want the same in our country. Our people, they love cricket, they love sport and the moment we have a series back home it will be massive. There will be no single spot to sit,” he said.
The number one T20I ranked bowler said that he would love West Indies to tour Afghanistan for a T20I series when international cricket is played in the country.
“It depends on the format. If you’re playing T20, definitely you will take West Indies. If you ask people back home, they are the biggest fans of West Indies cricket, they love all the big sixes,” he said.
