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Rashid Khan - Afghanistan leg-spinner

Archer, Mills, Jordan, Rashid, Wiese/Briggs. That's going to be a very good t20 attack.
 
RainMan_ said:
Wish we had a bowler like him. Unbelievable talent
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Lol. He's bowling to trash batsmen most of the times. Almost all his international wickets are against weak batting line ups.
Let him play decent number of matches against top teams then we will know his true worth.
 
Glad he's been so successful. Saw him bowl live in a bbl game against Sydney sixers and was amazing. Very deceptive.
 
Rashid Khan: Countdown to fastest 100, 150, 200 etc ODI wickets.

Rashid Khan is a good wrist spinner no doubt about that, a real gem to come out of Afhanistan. He takes wickets every game by the bucketful, by playing a lot of minnows and is on target to become the fastest bowler to bag 100 ODI wickets.

Starc holds the record for the fastest ODI bowler to 100 wickets,he got there in just 52 matches. Rashid Khan already has 76 wickets in just 34 matches, and needs to get 24 more in just 17 games.

He will break it for sure. The rate at which he is going he might get to 150, 200 wickets etc faster than anyone else. He might only slow down if he gets to play a lot more against Top tier teams.
 
He'll probably break many records because he mostly plays against weak batting line ups in spin friendly conditions.
 
BlueDoritos said:
He'll probably break many records because he mostly plays against weak batting line ups in spin friendly conditions.
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Bro he has taken wickets of world's best batsmen also, he was leading wicket taker at BBL also
 
UN talkz said:
Bro he has taken wickets of world's best batsmen also, he was leading wicket taker at BBL also
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He is a top spinner but I am not sure if he will be taking wickets at the same pace, at the same avg and economy if he plays regularly against top teams. Surely he will get top batsmen out but his stats at the moment are inflamed.
 
UN talkz said:
Bro he has taken wickets of world's best batsmen also, he was leading wicket taker at BBL also
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Shadab also did well there but he only played a few games, if he had played the whole tournament he would have been the top wicket taker. And if Shadab only played against weak batting line ups in spin friendly conditions he would also take wickets for fun in every match.

Fawad Ahmed also performs really well in BBL doesn't mean he's going to be an ATG in T20 history. And talking about top wicket takers, let me tell you who's the All Time Top Wicket taker of BBL, the ATG Ben Laughlin, who is head and shoulders above every other bowler in BBL history but he failed at international stage, too bad he didn't get to face minnows frequently like Rashid.

If you talk about Rashid's current stats, It's like mixing the top goal scoring charts of Premier League and 2nd division Championship in England.

There's huge difference in quality of opposition.

Let him play some matches against big teams and in non spin friendly conditions then we'll see how good he truly is, he also got wrecked by SA in the last world T20 and ended up as worst bowler of the match.
http://www.cricbuzz.com/live-cricke...0th-match-super-10-group-1-icc-world-t20-2016

But he plays for a minnow team, mostly faces minnow or weak teams and his skill level is better than every other minnow team player right now, so he'll bag many wickets surely.
 
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BlueDoritos said:
Shadab also did well there but he only played a few games, if he had played the whole tournament he would have been the top wicket taker. And if Shadab only played against weak batting line ups in spin friendly conditions he would also take wickets for fun in every match.

Fawad Ahmed also performs really well in BBL doesn't mean he's going to be an ATG in T20 history. And talking about top wicket takers, let me tell you who's the All Time Top Wicket taker of BBL, the ATG Ben Laughlin, who is head and shoulders above every other bowler in BBL history but he failed at international stage, too bad he didn't get to face minnows frequently like Rashid.

If you talk about Rashid's current stats, It's like mixing the top goal scoring charts of Premier League and 2nd division Championship in England.

There's huge difference in quality of opposition.

Let him play some matches against big teams and in non spin friendly conditions then we'll see how good he truly is, he also got wrecked by SA in the last world T20 and ended up as worst bowler of the match.
http://www.cricbuzz.com/live-cricke...0th-match-super-10-group-1-icc-world-t20-2016

But he plays for a minnow team, mostly faces minnow or weak teams and his skill level is better than every other minnow team player right now, so he'll bag many wickets surely.
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Minnow bashing isn't nearly as rewarding as you think

Saeed Ajmal Ave against Zimbabwe, 27
Wasim Akram Ave against Zimbabwe 23
Harbhajan Singh Ave against Zimbabwe 27

Rashid Khan Ave against Zimbabwe 14
 
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New Yorker said:
Minnow bashing isn't nearly as rewarding as you think

Saeed Ajmal Ave against Zimbabwe, 27
Wasim Akram Ave against Zimbabwe 23
Harbhajan Singh Ave against Zimbabwe 27

Rashid Khan Ave against Zimbabwe 14
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Let him play against the strong teams, then we will compare his average to the bowlers you named.
 
BlueDoritos said:
Shadab also did well there but he only played a few games, if he had played the whole tournament he would have been the top wicket taker. And if Shadab only played against weak batting line ups in spin friendly conditions he would also take wickets for fun in every match.

Fawad Ahmed also performs really well in BBL doesn't mean he's going to be an ATG in T20 history. And talking about top wicket takers, let me tell you who's the All Time Top Wicket taker of BBL, the ATG Ben Laughlin, who is head and shoulders above every other bowler in BBL history but he failed at international stage, too bad he didn't get to face minnows frequently like Rashid.

If you talk about Rashid's current stats, It's like mixing the top goal scoring charts of Premier League and 2nd division Championship in England.

There's huge difference in quality of opposition.

Let him play some matches against big teams and in non spin friendly conditions then we'll see how good he truly is, he also got wrecked by SA in the last world T20 and ended up as worst bowler of the match.
http://www.cricbuzz.com/live-cricke...0th-match-super-10-group-1-icc-world-t20-2016

But he plays for a minnow team, mostly faces minnow or weak teams and his skill level is better than every other minnow team player right now, so he'll bag many wickets surely.
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...players who play many matches tend to pick up more wickets. but ben laughlin was very low down on the averages list for the 2017/2018 BPL...averaged 23, to rashid's 13

...rashid being better than every other minnow team player only begs the question, how much better may he also be than non minnow team players...
 
New Yorker said:
...players who play many matches tend to pick up more wickets. but ben laughlin was very low down on the averages list for the 2017/2018 BPL...averaged 23, to rashid's 13

...rashid being better than every other minnow team player only begs the question, how much better may he also be than non minnow team players...
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... Small sample size.

... Yeah we saw the glimpse of that when he bowled to AB.
 
BlueDoritos said:
Let him play against the strong teams, then we will compare his average to the bowlers you named.
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sure, looking forward. but in the meantime we can also compare these averages. and dispense with the notion that minnow teams give their wickets away more cheaply on a per bowler basis. which is the basis for your argument that we can't yet make any kind of evaluation of rashid.
 
BlueDoritos said:
You haven't seen him bowl to AB, how can I make an argument after that. :ishant
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sorry, you are making some kind of argument about the importance of sample size, AND claiming that a single performance in one match tells you all you need to know about a bowler? it's original, i'll give you that.

this, btw, was the T20 in which AFG compiled 172 against Rabada, Morris and Tahir, in response to SAfs 200? in which Rabada went for 9 an over against AFG batsmen? Flat pitch perhaps?
 
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Some more interesting stats to put the minnow bashing argument in context

Kuldeep Yadav Bowling Ave against Windies 19
Mitchell Starc Bowling Ave against Windies 13
Imran Tahir Bowling Ave against Windies 12

Rashid Khan Bowling Ave against Windies 4
 
BlueDoritos said:
Lol. He's bowling to trash batsmen most of the times. Almost all his international wickets are against weak batting line ups.
Let him play decent number of matches against top teams then we will know his true worth.
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He bowled really well in the IPL, BBL etc too
 
New Yorker said:
sorry, you are making some kind of argument about the importance of sample size, AND claiming that a single performance in one match tells you all you need to know about a bowler? it's original, i'll give you that.

this, btw, was the T20 in which AFG compiled 172 against Rabada, Morris and Tahir, in response to SAfs 200? in which Rabada went for 9 an over against AFG batsmen? Flat pitch perhaps?
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If read post #94 you'll get the answer.
 
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I watched the T20 which was one of Rashid first ever T20 games. AB smacked him, but was also dropped of his bowling in the same over.

16.6
1
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, 1 run, slides on on off, this gently patted down to long-on. No violence. Rashid's figures, though, have been destroyed. 29 runs off the over
16.5
6
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, SIX, length ball on off, AB plants his front foot forward and slugs it down the ground again for a massive, massive six into the grandstand
16.4
6
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, SIX, dug in short on middle, AB lays into Rashid. He rocks back and smites it ruthlessly over midwicket. AB charges to his half-century
16.3
6
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, SIX, AB gallops down the track, manufactures a full ball, and launches it down the ground
16.2
4
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, FOUR, dropped fractionally short and outside off, AB rocks back and swats it in the air towards deep midwicket. The fielder was late to pick it up. He runs across to his right, dives to his right, but the ball drops in front of him and escapes to the boundary
16.1
6
Rashid Khan to de Villiers, SIX, dragged short on middle, tripe ball. AB skips back and hammers a pull into the stands beyond midwicket
 
The greatest cricketer Afghanistan has produced so far. He could have a huge impact on Afghan cricket and can inspire a generation - 50 years down the line, he could be remembered as the father of Afghanistan cricket.

Outstanding bowler. Possibly the best leg-spinner in the world at the moment, and it is a shame that he will not be able to prove his worth as a Test cricketer, since Afghanistan will play scant Test cricket during his career.
 
Unfortunately he will only get worse from here. AFG. made a mistake in picking this guy when he was well past his prime.
 
Easily the best limited overs bowler in the world right now. I knew he would become such a special bowler the moment I saw his bowling bangladesh. He hasn't disappointed me.
 
Rayyman said:
Unfortunately he will only get worse from here. AFG. made a mistake in picking this guy when he was well past his prime.
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What?

Isn't he like 19? Even if the age is fake and he is actually 25 or 26, he still has a good decade where he can be at his peak.

Rashid Khan is a champion bowler. Had a fabulous last IPL. He got many good to great batsmen out. I watched almost all of Sun Risers Hyderabad matches.
 
New Yorker said:
Minnow bashing isn't nearly as rewarding as you think

Saeed Ajmal Ave against Zimbabwe, 27
Wasim Akram Ave against Zimbabwe 23
Harbhajan Singh Ave against Zimbabwe 27

Rashid Khan Ave against Zimbabwe 14
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Where did Rashid play and the opposition team ?worst team and worst condition.
 
Mamoon said:
The greatest cricketer Afghanistan has produced so far. He could have a huge impact on Afghan cricket and can inspire a generation - 50 years down the line, he could be remembered as the father of Afghanistan cricket.

Outstanding bowler. Possibly the best leg-spinner in the world at the moment, and it is a shame that he will not be able to prove his worth as a Test cricketer, since Afghanistan will play scant Test cricket during his career.
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do you think he is better than Imran tahir,or shadab,and Chahal?i dont think so,,
 
He is basically a younger version of Samuel Badree which is not a bad thing in LOI but not something to be excited about.
 
Abdullah719 said:
Rashid Khan on track to smash Mitchell Starc's record

Khan continued his march towards becoming the fastest-ever bowler to reach 100 ODI wickets with his 16 in the series taking him to 86 from 37 games in total.

Australian fast bowler Mitchell Starc holds the record for least amount of ODIs to take 100 wickets, with 52.

https://www.sport24.co.za/Cricket/khan-leads-afghanistan-to-thumping-series-win-20180219
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Rashid for sure is going to break this record. he has 14 ODI games to get 14 wickets. He will easily get there.
 
DRsohail said:
Where did Rashid play and the opposition team ?worst team and worst condition.
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Ya, it is odd how, even though minnows will be minnows, no other bowler bashes them like Rashid. It is almost as if he were better than other bowlers...

From # 106

Kuldeep Yadav Bowling Ave against Windies 19
Mitchell Starc Bowling Ave against Windies 13
Imran Tahir Bowling Ave against Windies 12

Rashid Khan Bowling Ave against Windies 4
 
Rashid Khan: The youngest No.1 in men’s cricket

After a year in which Rashid Khan left plenty of records in his wake – and for which he was given the ICC Associate Cricketer of the Year award – the leg-spinner from Afghanistan has added another feather to what is already a pretty stuffed cap.

Rashid became the youngest player – and only teenager – to top any of the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings tables for men when he became the No.1-ranked ODI bowler at just 7092 days of age.

Confirmation of the achievement came on Monday after Afghanistan completed a 4-1 series-win over Zimbabwe in Sharjah. Rashid was the highest wicket-taker in the series, claiming a remarkable haul of 16 wickets for a total of 127 runs, at a staggering average of 7.9.

Before Rashid, the youngest man to be No.1 in any of the MRF Tyres ICC Player Rankings was Saqlain Mushtaq. The Pakistan off-spinner was 7683 days old when in January 1998 he ascended to top spot in the ODI rankings.

https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/623441
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Afghanistan's Rashid Khan:<br>Number 1 in the T20I bowling rankings.<br>Joint number 1 in the ODI bowling rankings.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/967699259519795200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
UN talkz said:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Afghanistan's Rashid Khan:<br>Number 1 in the T20I bowling rankings.<br>Joint number 1 in the ODI bowling rankings.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Cricket?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Cricket</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/967699259519795200?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 25, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Number 1 minnow basher as well
 
Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan is set to become the youngest captain in the history of international cricket at nineteen years. The World's No.1 ODI and Twenty20 International bowler, Rashid will lead Afghanistan after regular skipper Asghar Stanikzai was diagnosed with appendicitis. "The doctors have advised that he will be able to return to cricket in approximately 10 days. Current vice-captain Rashid Khan will lead the team in his absence," Afghan Cricket Board said in a press statement.

Afghanistan travel to Bulawayo for the group-stage matches of the ICC World Cup Qualifier. Afghanistan take on Scotland on March 4 to launch their campaign for qualification to the 2019 World Cup.


Last week, Rashid became the youngest player to be ranked No.1 in the ICC's Player Rankings across formats. TAfghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan is set to become the youngest captain in the history of international cricket at nineteen years. The World's No.1 ODI and Twenty20 International bowler, Rashid will lead Afghanistan after regular skipper Asghar Stanikzai was diagnosed with appendicitis. "The doctors have advised that he will be able to return to cricket in approximately 10 days. Current vice-captain Rashid Khan will lead the team in his absence," Afghan Cricket Board said in a press statement.

Afghanistan travel to Bulawayo for the group-stage matches of the ICC World Cup Qualifier. Afghanistan take on Scotland on March 4 to launch their campaign for qualification to the 2019 World Cup.

Last week, Rashid became the youngest player to be ranked No.1 in the ICC's Player Rankings across formats. The leg-spinner has so far taken 86 wickets from 37 ODIs and 47 wickets from 29 T20Is

He had broken Pakistan great Saqlain Mushtaq's record to become the youngest to be on top of any ICC Player Rankings (batsmen or bowlers). Rashid and India's pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah took the joint-top position among ODI bowlers.

Rashid thus also leapfrogged Sachin Tendulkar, who was the youngest No.1-ranked Test batsman when he was on top of the charts in 1994.

At 7,683 days, Saqlain had topped the charts in 1998 and the former Pakistan off-spinner was effusive in his praise for the Afghan leggie.

He had broken Pakistan great Saqlain Mushtaq's record to become the youngest to be on top of any ICC Player Rankings (batsmen or bowlers). Rashid and India's pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah took the joint-top position among ODI bowlers.

Rashid thus also leapfrogged Sachin Tendulkar, who was the youngest No.1-ranked Test batsman when he was on top of the charts in 1994.

At 7,683 days, Saqlain had topped the charts in 1998 and the former Pakistan off-spinner was effusive in his praise for the Afghan leggie.

https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/ras...gest-captain-in-international-cricket-1817784
 
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Rashid Khan has become youngest to captain ODI team at the age of 19 years and 165 days.
 
He is just too good for associate level.. As it is most of the associates suck at playing spin and then you have such a talented bowler destroying them..
 
Needs to play more against the top teams,but he’s done well against good players in various T20 leagues.
 
Afghanistan bowling sensation Rashid Khan became the fastest (44 matches) to take 100 One-Day International (ODI) wickets. Rashid surpassed Australian pacer Mitchell Starc's record of 52 matches. Rashid reached the milestone after he dismissed Shai Hope during the ICC World Cup Qualifier final against the West Indies at the Harare Sports Club on Sunday.

The 19-year-old also became the youngest bowler ever to reach the remarkable milestone. Rashid rose through the ranks quickly, becoming the joint eighth quickest to reach 50 ODI wickets (26 matches).

Rashid is followed by Starc, Saqlain Mushtaq (53 ODIs), Shane Bond (54 ODIs) and Brett Lee (55 ODIs) in the list to fastest 100 ODI wickets.

Last month, the Afghan leggie, at 7,092 days, broke Pakistan great Saqlain Mushtaq's record to become the youngest to be on top of any ICC Player Rankings (batsmen or bowlers). At 7,683 days, Saqlain had topped the charts in 1998.
Rashid and India's pace sensation Jasprit Bumrah took the joint-top position among ODI bowlers.

Rashid also leapfrogged Sachin Tendulkar, who was the youngest No 1-ranked Test batsman when he was on top of the charts in 1994.

Following his superlative performances for Afghanistan, the leg-spinning sensation was snapped up by Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) for the 2017 Indian Premier League (IPL) season where he played a key role in his team reaching the playoffs of the tournament.

He picked up 17 wickets in 14 matches with a strike rate of 19.05 during the last IPL season.
Ahead of the 11th season of the IPL, SRH used the Right To Match (RTM) card to retain the bowler for a whopping Rs 9 crore.

https://amp.sports.ndtv.com/cricket...8422?akamai-rum=off&__twitter_impression=true
 
He is the bradman of leg spin. We will see his class when he plays his first test against Kohli-less India.
 
Rashid Khan is Wisden's leading Twenty20 cricketer in 2017

When the first professional game of Twenty20 took place in 2003, Rashid Khan was a four-year-old in Afghanistan. His ascent speaks of the extraordinary changes brought about by the format. In short, he embodies the democratisation of cricket. It has always been besotted with hierarchies – from the Gentlemen against the Players to the distinction between Full and Associate Members of the ICC. Yet the T20 ecosystem revolves around domestic leagues, so it doesn’t care where cricketers are from – only their quality.

Rashid also reflects the importance of his trade in the 20-over game. During T20’s first forays, it was blithely assumed that, with short boundaries, and batsmen on the attack, leg-spinners would become as defunct as cassettes. Instead, they have proved more sought-after than any other type of bowler. And those who are thriving are not purveyors of dour, wicket-to-wicket, risk-free fare. They are the ones with the best variations, able to prevent batsmen lining them up.

Most of all, there is Rashid’s skill. He is both shaped by leg-spin’s traditions – as a boy, he looked up to Mushtaq Ahmed and Anil Kumble – and in sync with its new age. He has many traits of the classical leggie. He can beat batsmen in the air and off the pitch. And while he has a fine stock ball, his most potent delivery is a sharp-turning googly, disguised as well as a poker player concealing a royal flush. As with Pakistan’s Shadab Khan and West Indies’ Samuel Badree, Rashid bowls quickly for one of his kind, regularly passing 60mph, which means batsmen are reluctant to use their feet. He is brilliantly flexible – equally at home in the powerplay, the middle overs or at the death – and adroit in shielding a short boundary. He is also shrewd, relying not just on his natural talent, but on footage and data analysis.

Rashid is imbued with a chutzpah that enables him to thrive in new environments. Last year, he made the transition from Associate into a $600,000 bowler in the IPL. He performed marvellously in India, then excelled in leagues in the Caribbean – where he took a hat-trick exclusively with those googlies – Bangladesh and Australia. The analysts demystified him, but they could not stop him bamboozling opponents.

T20 bowlers tend to divide into those who seek to contain and those who pursue wickets. In 2017, Rashid was a world leader in both. He took 80 wickets in the format at 14 apiece, with an economy-rate of just 5.53. The next best, Sunil Narine, managed 62; only Dwayne Bravo – 87 in 2016 – had taken more in a calendar year. And Rashid is still a teenager. He is shaping up as the Muttiah Muralitharan of T20, setting records that may never be surpassed.

As a young Afghan leg-spinner who has become the most coveted bowler in the format, Rashid encapsulates T20’s new possibilities. More than anyone, he is a beneficiary of the new landscape – and a harbinger of its future.

https://www.wisdenindia.com/wisden-...d-khan-leading-twenty20-cricketer-2017/296552
 
Really has set the scene on fire and is all set to be ICC's Emerging player for 2018 imo
 
https://www.wisdenindia.com/cricket-article/afghanistans-facelift-rashids-fingers/299304

From playing tape-ball cricket in the streets of Nangarhar with his six brothers, Rashid Khan has come a long way. Today, he is, without any doubt, the biggest name in the Afghanistan cricket. The 19-year-old legspinner has been showcasing his talent in various Twenty20 leagues around the world for the last couple of years. Be it the Indian Premier League, Big Bash League or T20 Blast, Rashid has won admirers with his ability and skills wherever he has gone.

However, in an extensive chat with Wisden India, Rashid revealed that there was a time when he had to hide from his own parents in order to play cricket. “At one time, playing cricket in Afghanistan was considered as a big crime,” says Rashid. “Parents wanted their kids to study, saying there was no future in cricket. They wanted us to get a proper job. Even I faced such problems. My mom wasn’t letting me play with the ball. She used to say it was very heavy and it might hurt you. Whenever I was going out for a match, if I saw my father, I would hide. I will ask my nephew to go out first with the bat and then I would follow him. But the families were right at those times, they felt there was no real future for cricket in Afghanistan. Study hard and becomes an engineer or a doctor – they would say.”

The event which changed the scene in Afghanistan was the World T20 2016. Making their debut in the tournament, Afghanistan not only qualified for the Super 10 stage, they also defeated West Indies, the eventual champions, in one of the matches. That one victory was enough to excite the whole nation about cricket.

“After Afghanistan played their first World T20 in 2016 and won against West Indies, from there on the sport became famous and people got to know more about cricket, Soon everyone was keen to play cricket. Since then, playing at home with my brothers and watching big stars on television motivated me that one day I have to play for my country.”

But it was not always that Rashid wanted to be a legspinner. In fact, he was a top-order batsman and the switch to legspin was not by choice but by accident. “When I started cricket I was a batsman. I was either opening the innings or coming in at one-down. At that time, I was a part-time bowler because I had no good control over my legspin. I was bowling just one or two overs in a match. But when I played my first season, I got 21 wickets in three three-day matches. Then they changed my batting slot from opening or one down to No. 8, saying you are now a bowler. I thought if I’m getting my place in the team for my bowling, I just have to focus on that. Then I started to focus on my bowing and worked hard on it.”

Rashid, who idolises Shahid Afridi, bowls all his deliveries at a brisk pace. But unlike traditional legspinners who use their wrist a lot, Rashid bowls all his deliveries with the help of his fingers. The Afghan leggie never had a formal coaching and perhaps that’s the reason why he is so different from others.

“I don’t use my wrist a lot, I only use my fingers and that’s what makes me different. I use the top of my fingers. That’s why I get more speed. If I use my wrist, I will be slower.

“Nobody has taught me anything, it is all natural. I discussed with the other legspinners as well. They were surprised too and said they hadn’t seen such kind of legspinner who could bowl back of the hand with his fingers.”

Rashid narrates a very interesting incident from the last season of the IPL where Imran Tahir asked him how he bowled his googly, after the Rising Supergiant Pune versus Sunrisers Hyderabad game at the Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium in Pune. In turn, Rashid asked Tahir to teach him how to bowl flipper. When they met again this year, the two legspinners agreed that their bowling actions were probably not suited for each other’s variations.

“We had the discussion about the wrong ‘un. He asked me how I bowled it so quickly, how I gripped the ball. We discussed this during our last meet as well, in Pune. He told me he was working on that grip but it wasn’t working for him. I spoke to him about how he bowls the flipper and I think the way he bowls, it’s very effective. So he taught me the flipper and I told him how I bowled the wrong ‘un. But with the action he has, it’s quite difficult to bowl the (quicker) wrong ‘un and with the action I have, it’s quite difficult to bowl the flipper.”

But the 2017 season of the IPL helped Rashid and Mohammed Nabi, his compatriot and teammate at Hyderabad, cross a big mental barrier. Performing well for Hyderabad gave them the confidence that they can bowl well not only against the associate nations but also the best in the business.

“For us, the IPL means a lot,” Rashid held. “Since we joined the IPL, we can see the difference in our game. You find a lot of big players in the IPL. If you are performing against them, it gives a confidence that if I am performing in the IPL, I am capable, I have the talent.

“Before the IPL, even if you’re performing against associate teams, you still think how I will perform against good teams, against good batsmen. That is what was going in our mind earlier. Even if you perform well again and again against associates, still it will be like we haven’t performed against good teams. But doing well in the IPL has given me the confidence that I am good enough to bowl against anyone. This year it’s more challenging for me because last year batsmen were not used to me. So far, I am very satisfied how I have performed this season.”

Speaking about his preparation against a particular batsman, Rashid says he just tries to mix it up depending upon the batsman’s strengths and the match situation.

“I just have one thing in my mind, that is to bowl a good length to the batsmen. Whoever the batsman is, I just try to bowl in the good length area to make it tough for him. I just mix up the deliveries depending on depending on the batsman’s mood, where the batsman wants to play me.

“If he is looking towards the leg side that I don’t bowl too many googlies because with the angle he can hit it easily. In that case, I bowl a lot of legspin so that he is forced to play across and might top-edge. So, my bowling defends on the strength and weakness of the batsmen, if he is strong on the offside or the legside. With the first few balls I bowl I try to figure out what the batsman is trying to do, then I decide on how to bowl and which area I to bowl.”

Not only opposing batsmen, even Mohammad Shahzad, Afghanistan’s wicketkeeper, at times finds it difficult to pick Rashid’s variations. Naman Ojha faced a similar problem when he kept to Rashid for Hyderabad during the IPL 2017. As per Rashid, Shahzad though can read him now. “Sometimes, we have signals, especially when it’s a turning track which it makes it difficult for him. Then we use to have some signals, like if I do this then it will be a wrong ‘un, and if I do that, it would be a leg break. Initially it was very difficult but later on, when he got used it then it was fine.”

Participation in almost all the T20 league globally means Rashid hardly gets any time to spend with his family, back in Afghanistan. In the last one year, the legspinner has spent just 15 days at home. But how big a star he is in Afghanistan becomes clear from the fact that whenever he has to step out from his home, he either needs to be in disguise or have some security with him.

“We cannot go outside much because of people. If it’s very urgent, we hide our face or something like that. For restaurant and all, I can go but I have to have some security with me.

“Once we were going as guests for a match and I think we had to stop like 10 to 20 times. People were coming in front of our car and saying stop, we want to take pictures. This is how crazy they are because they haven’t seen us players. They have seen me only on the TV that this man is doing well and all that.

“When we play a game there, we have a lot of security. The crowd we get when we are playing there is very good and it’s good to see they are coming and supporting. They are very alive, very crazy fans.”

Even after getting so much adulation, Rashid tries to remain the same humble guy from Nangarhar. “I don’t do anything special to handle these things,” Rashid says. “I’m just as I was before. Just happy to see the love and support of fans. That’s what we need. I try my best to keep my fans happy, just try to meet them and give them some good times as well.”

This February, Rashid became the youngest-ever player to be ranked No. 1 in the ICC rankings when he clinched the top bowling spot in ODIs at the age of just 19 years and 153 days. Ten days later, in the absence of Asghar Stanikzai, Afghanistan’s regular skipper, Rashid was leading the side against Scotland in the World Cup Qualifiers. Every time he picks up the ball, either for Afghanistan or for one of the T20 franchise, he is expected to deliver.

“A lot of expectations are there, especially from back home. Even if I don’t perform in a single match, they get worried about me. They would say what happened to you. They are expecting five wickets in every match from you, irrespective it’s a T20 or an ODI. They just say you have to take five wickets in every match. If I don’t take it, they would say what happened to you.

“But I don’t think that puts extra pressure on me. I am just trying my best, trying to do as well as possible and I am trying to enjoy myself. I think the best thing is to enjoy yourself. The more you enjoy, I think the better you perform. There is a burden on me to do well because most of the matches if I don’t do well, we lose. I am trying to just focus on the basics. If I do the basics right and don’t think a lot about what people will say, I think that will help my performance. I just try to work hard in training sessions and come well-prepared for the match and just do the basics right. Regardless I take wickets or don’t, I just need to work hard and give my 100%.”

In the initial matches of the Qualifiers tournament, he didn’t look comfortable while leading the size. It was the return of Asghar back into the side and at the helm which revived their tournament and helped them qualify for next year’s World Cup in 2019.

Rashid offered an interesting analogy when asked if they captaincy affected his own performance during the Qualifiers. “It’s like when someone gets a job somewhere, things look very different for the first two-three days. All the people look different to you. But then you get used to it. So the first two games were very different for me to captain and handle the team, to think of not only about myself and my bowling, but to think about the other ten players and bowlers, how to use them, where to have the field placement, that was the thing going in my mind in the first two games. But after I played the first two games, the coach (Phil Simmons) and the regular captain (Asghar) told me this will happen to you. You will have lots of things in your mind like what to do now, where to have the field, who to bowl when I should bowl. Don’t put yourself down, take your time for the first few games and you will be okay after that. So after the first few games, I got used to it and I was just enjoying myself.”

Rashid feels that if in future he is made captain, the extra responsibility won’t have any negative effect on his performance. “I don’t think it’ll affect me. I just got to do the basics right. If I enjoy and don’t put the burden on myself I think I will be okay.”

However, the thing which affects him is terrorism back home, and you can gauge that by the change in his tone. “We worry about the situation back home,” he says with a concern. “In the last one month, we had about three-four bomb blasts in Afghanistan. That makes us very sad. We are here trying our best to give some good performances and put smiles on the faces of the people. But still, if that does not happen and blasts are happening, it’s just sad. We get very upset whenever we see what’s going on in our country. But we don’t give up. We just try and give some extra good performances so that our people can celebrate and get these negative things out of their minds. But still, these things happen again.

“We just try to do well on the field and get those things out of our minds. If we perform well, Afghanistan’s name will be known for good reasons all over the world. Earlier, if someone thought about Afghanistan, they only thought negative. Now if someone asks you about Afghanistan, the next thing you will say is about cricket and about us. That makes us a little bit happy. The image of Afghanistan is changing. And we’re trying our best, to change that image. If bad things are still happening that is not in our control. If we become upset or unhappy or whatever, it won’t make any difference. But if we do well here and we project Afghanistan as a good country, that will bring changes in Afghanistan. That’s the only thing we can do wherever we are, represent Afghanistan as a good country.”

Rashid is hopeful that Afghanistan Premier League, whose first season is scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates in October this year, will help a lot in changing the current image of Afghanistan.

“APL will be a very big tournament. We’re really waiting for that, to play our own league, even though outside of the country. That will bring lots of changes. Once we play this league back home in Afghanistan, and once we see all the good international players coming to Afghanistan, once everything gets settled and is fine, it will change the image of Afghanistan. All over the world people will see what Afghanistan is. It’s not what it appears now.”
 
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They didn't debut in 2016 T20 WC,they were there in 2012 T20 WC as well, Wisden India not fact checking anymore?
 
Syed1 said:
Hopefully it is England.... that would be hilarious.
Click to expand...

I wouldnt mind that.

He has got the wicket of some really big fish just when it mattered in big occassions during the whole IPL tournament.

I am just scared it is not South Africa this time. I dont think it will be India or Pakistan though. A non-Asian team it will be.
 
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He's taken 18 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of almost 7 this year average returns not groundbreaking but did bowl well in the big moments yesterday.
It will be interesting to see him play the top 5 teams in t20s and ODIs to see his ability against the best teams.
 
His action is going to confuse everyone. Never seen a leggie who bowls both leg spin and doosra with doosra action. You just cannot predict which way the ball goes with that action. He bowls that at great speed. On rough pitches he is a hard man to pick.
 
Cric1234 said:
He's taken 18 wickets in 15 matches at an economy of almost 7 this year average returns not groundbreaking but did bowl well in the big moments yesterday.
It will be interesting to see him play the top 5 teams in t20s and ODIs to see his ability against the best teams.
Click to expand...

They try to see him off mostly.
 
It's wise see him off rather than try to dominate him specially overseas teams.
Devilliers slapped 28 runs off his over in wT20 but was struggling against him in this ipl.
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Always felt <a href="https://twitter.com/rashidkhan_19?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@rashidkhan_19</a> was a good spinner but now I wouldn’t hesitate in saying he is the best spinner in the world in this format. Mind you, he’s got some batting skills as well. Great guy.</p>— Sachin Tendulkar (@sachin_rt) <a href="https://twitter.com/sachin_rt/status/1000053997447843840?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Afghans take absolute pride in our hero, Rashid Khan. I am also thankful to our Indian friends for giving our players a platform to show their skills. Rashid reminds us whats best about Afg. He remains an asset to the cricketing world. No we are not giving him away. <a href="https://twitter.com/narendramodi?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@narendramodi</a></p>— Ashraf Ghani (@ashrafghani) <a href="https://twitter.com/ashrafghani/status/1000091172184952832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 25, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Damn, he seems to have caught on to our evil ploy.
 
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