Former Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan recalled a funny conversation he had with ex-India captain MS Dhoni with regards to Afghan keeper Mohammad Shahzad’s IPL chances.
Afghan also thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), saying that they had played a major role in uplifting the game of cricket in Afghanistan over the years. Simultaneously, the Indian Premier League (IPL) assisted Afghan players in becoming global sensations.
It certainly showed in the just concluded ICC ODI World Cup 2023, where Afghanistan finished sixth with 8 points, gaining a place in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Former captain Mohammad Asghar Afghan believes that the Indian cricket board helped them depict themselves as a competitive team on the international circuit, while the IPL polished the Afghan players to the point where they are now being seen as some of the most exciting players in world.
“Honestly, BCCI has played a big role in Afghanistan’s cricket development. They supported us a lot. Since 2014 till date, BCCI has been very supportive. We were given a home ground. Afghanistan loves cricket and its cricketers,” Asghar told The Times of India.
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Afghan, who played 6 Tests, 114 ODIs, and 75 T20Is, recalled a light-hearted conversation with legendary MS Dhoni during the Asia Cup 2018.
India and Afghanistan played a high-scoring tie match in Dubai and after the match, Afghan had a long chat with Dhoni which he recalled during the interview. The chat also involved Afghan keeper Mohammad Shahzad, who had scored a century against India in that match.
“After the tied match, I had a long chat with MS Dhoni. He is a superb captain and a god’s gift to Indian cricket. He is a nice human being. We spoke about Mohammad Shahzad a lot. I told Dhoni Bhai that Shahzad is your big fan.
Dhoni said Shahzad has got a big tummy and if he loses 20 kg, I will pick him in the IPL. But when Shahzad returned to Afghanistan after the series, he gained 5 more kgs,” Afghan said.
(Times in India inputs)
