Asia Cup T20 2022: Is Afghanistan reaping the benefits of global T20 leagues? Rashid Khan answers

Afghanistan is putting on a hard show in the 2022 Asia Cup T20. Is the rise of Afghanistan as a formidable force related to its players playing the global domestic T20 leagues? Here’s what Rashid Khan feels.

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Afghanistan is considered one of the most unpredictable and challenging sides in world cricket. Since it gained full membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC), it has been on a steady rise in international cricket, especially white-ball cricket. Participating in the ongoing Asia Cup T20, it surprised former champion Sri Lanka in the tournament’s opening match. It looks like a favourite again in Tuesday’s second game against Bangladesh. Meanwhile, fans have wondered what makes the Afghans strong with each passing year. Leg-spinner Rashid Khan feels it has much to do with the domestic Twenty20 (T20) leagues.

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Talking to ESPNCricinfo, Rashid recently spoke on the topic and said, “We don’t play many games of long format cricket. It’s all related to the FTP [Future Tours Programme], but the FTP isn’t in the players who are in their hands. We want to participate in many international cricket games to help our kids be aware of the surroundings and improve their abilities.”

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“Because we participate in many international tournaments, it gives us the chance to gain knowledge from the most successful players. We apply that knowledge to our international team. We share the knowledge with the rest of the team. Especially in the batting department, it is beneficial to participate in more international tournaments,” added Rashid.

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“If you’re playing international, you must be there. It’s always the top priority. However, we are optimistic about participating in more international matches in the next few years. We have more kids now than we did before. Most of the players are enjoying this short format,” Rashid continued.