Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi said that cricket is the only thing that brings happiness to his country and his team would give its everything in the ongoing ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2021 to make their fans happy amidst the precarious situation in the country after the Taliban seized power in August 2021.
With the Taliban having captured Afghanistan once again after 20 years, the long-suffering Afghan people are again grappling with the same adversities and Nabi also admitted that there's been a lot happening for the last two months and even their training for the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 was also hampered.
Ahead of Afghanistan’s first match of the Super 12s against Scotland on Monday, October 25, in Sharjah, Nabi said that the fans back home would really be happy if they do well in the T20 World Cup 2021.
Nabi said during a virtual pre-match press conference: “The fans are really waiting for that camp because the only happiness in Afghanistan is cricket. If you're willing to do well in the tournament and we win the games, the fans are really happy and there will be a lot of smiles on faces and insha'Allah everything will be changed of this work if we do well in the tournament.”
The all-rounder further explained, “Everyone knows that back home in Afghanistan there's a lot happening and everything from the last few months. But from a cricket point of view, everybody is ready for that World Cup and we prepared well for this World Cup.
There is a few issues when we arrived in Dubai about with those issues. But these last two warm-up games and practice sessions will well prepare for the team and prepare well for the upcoming games for tomorrow's games as well.”
On Afghanistan’s preparation for the T20 World Cup 2021, the skipper said: “Yeah, it's not that much ideal but from last one and a half weeks, when the team arrived and the current time and everything finished two warm-up games and around one-week practice sessions, I think it's for those cricketers playing cricket all over the world, especially five, six, seven players are playing different franchise cricket from last six months, we are in touch with cricket.”
Nabi signed off by saying, “There are a few players just with the condition and also getting with the team and the competition of the team is more important. And we did from last one and a half weeks and we are well-prepared insha'Allah we'll try our best and do well.”
(With ANI Inputs)
