Joining SA20 and playing there, has benefited Afghanistan cricket: Rashid Khan

With the third season of SA20 set to kick off on January 9, MI Cape Town captain Rashid Khan opined on Afghanistan cricket’s progress and how platforms like SA20 contribute to this change.

Afghanistan as a team has had immense success in recent times. They started from being a new entry on the international circuit a decade ago to reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup last year. Star spinner, Rashid spoke about the development of Afghan players participating in global leagues.

"I think such leagues really improve cricket. And since Afganistan players have joined the leagues and played there, I think all the benefits have gone to Afghanistan cricket. You know, the way we have done in the World Cup, it has shown in the last two World Cups, 2023 and also ODI and T20. In both the World Cups, we got to the semi-finals. You know, 10 years before, I don't think anybody would have thought Afghanistan will get to the semi-finals. But that's just, you know, that's just the kind of opportunity they get here in such big leagues," Khan said at the Official Captains' Press Conference.

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Get the opportunity to share the ground with big names: Rashid Khan

SA20 has given numerous chances to Afghan cricketers to showcase their talents. Interestingly, Sediqullah Atal has replaced injured Ben Stokes in the MI Cape Town squad, making his way after stellar performances in the Emerging Asia Cup, where he averaged 122.66 with the bat.

"Like you mentioned, Azmatullah and Gurbaz, and some more young players like Noor is here and Naveen. So, they're all coming, they're participating in this big league, so that's where they get the opportunity where they can share the ground with big names. You know, in Afghanistan, you hardly get the opportunity where you can play with a big superstar," he added.

MI Cape Town has faced challenges in SA20’s first two seasons, finishing at the bottom of the table. However, with Rashid returning as captain and a changed squad, the franchise is optimistic about turning things around. The team features stars like Kagiso Rabada, Trent Boult, and Reeza Hendricks, alongside Afghan talents Azmatullah Omarzai and Sediqullah Atal. 

"We don't have our own league where you can go and play with them, but here, you get the opportunity. You're sharing the dressing room with them for a month, and you're learning from them. So that's how your cricket grows, and I feel like, you know, that really helped Afghanistan cricket because we are not at that position now where we can just think about going and participating in the ICC events.

"So, there is expectation, and all the expectation, I think, came from us playing the leagues, and our cricket got improved. So, it's great to see the youngsters coming, and I hope, I hope to see lots more coming to the big leagues and playing and getting better," Rashid concluded.