Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan has bemoaned his side’s lower frequency of matches against the top international teams in the world and believes that a change in that regard is a must if they are to continue making rapid strides in cricket.
The Afghanistan skipper’s comments came after his side were declared joint winners of the T20I tri-series along with hosts Bangladesh’s with Tuesday’s final being washed out without a ball being bowled.
The Afghans had previously beaten Bangladesh in the one-off Test clash at Chattogram to record their second win in three matches in the format. However, Rashid believes that a one-off Test isn’t really going to help matters for his side when it comes to the bigger picture.
“We should have longer series against Bangladesh, like have the main focus on 50 overs and Test matches,” the leg-spin sensation stated in the post-match press conference.
“Cricket boards should think about it. There should be a three-match Test series. There’s more room to learn and have different experiences. More 50 overs and Tests would be better for both nations.”
The 21-year-old cited the example of Afghanistan’s dismal 2019 World Cup campaign in England where they finished bottom after losing all nine of their fixtures.
“We have played only twice against Australia, New Zealand and England in the last five years (in ODIs). If we played more against them, we could have known their strengths and weaknesses. It should be looked into,” Rashid said.
“The best example is Bangladesh. They played a lot against South Africa and ended up having the best result against them in the World Cup. If we want to be a good side, we should play more against the top sides. Not one match in four years.
“These teams have four fast bowlers who bowl 140-plus. We play against Scotland and Ireland, and they hardly have a 140-plus bowler.”
Afghanistan’s next international engagement will come later in November this year when they host the West Indies in three T20s, as many ODIs and a one-off Test in their adopted home in India.