After Afghanistan's famous victory over Australia in their Super 8 encounter at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said during the post-match press conference:
[Reporter:]
Is there any extra level of feeling beating Australia given they've declined to play against Afghanistan in bilateral cricket recently?
Just in terms of the satisfaction of beating Australia or the emotion of beating Australia? Is there any more to that because Australia has declined to play against Afghanistan recently?
[Rashid Khan:]
Well, we the sportsmen and we love sports. People back home, they love sports. And I mentioned earlier, cricket is the only source of happiness back home. That's the only source left in Afghanistan where people could celebrate. And if we keep that source away from us as well, I don't know where Afghanistan will remain. Nowadays, all around the world, if you go somewhere, you ask someone, I'm from Afghanistan. The next thing he says, any of the cricketer name that he's playing there, he's playing there. But once you take this source and happiness as well from us, I think it's going to be hard for us.
So, we the sportsmen, we only think about the cricket. As we all the time, everyone is saying, sports bring the nation together and bring everyone together. So, for me, we're always happy to play against any side, and that's the only way where our cricket can get improving day by day. Some things, which is not under the control of anyone in cricket, and that's something we can't do anything about it. Wish we could do something, and wish that was a kind of solution for it, we would have been happy, but I don't know what's the solution for that. But we as a nation, that's the only source where we could play, enjoy, bring happiness to the country, and we get better day by day.
So, we're happy to play any side, but some - as I mentioned earlier, some things, government, and political things, I don't know much about these things and I don't like it as well. So, I have no answer for this, but my only thing always in the mind is I love to play against the big teams. I love to travel all around the world to play and I have received so much so much love from everyone. Whenever I go to Australia in Big Bash, I think I have got so much love and support from the fans there. They have given me so much love. Even though in 2022 World Cup, when we were playing in Adelaide against Australia, I got more support than them. And that was so satisfying. Playing here in Australia, I'm from Afghanistan and I'm getting that massive support and every city I go the huge amount of support is there and people loves giving me so much loves in that hospitality, especially the tough days in 2019 my dad passed away so that was the hardest time for me when I was in Australia. And the amount of love and support I got from everyone in the team, and also the fans, I think I call them a family.
So, I have so much fans there, so much people there. But as I said, I love to play everywhere all around the world. And those things which are not under the control, and cricket is not the solution, I don't think we can bring sports into that. If there is other solution, you can take that. But don't think cricket is the solution of politics and things like that. So, yeah, if we play in World Cup, why don't we play in bilateral series? I think we're happy to play against the best side. We learn from them. We get better day by day. But that's the only thing I can say.