Asghar Afghan warns Tim Paine of delivering aggressive statements against war-torn Afghanistan

Afghanistan will participate in the ICC World T20 2021, while Australian skipper Tim Paine feels otherwise. Meanwhile, Afghan captain Asghar Afghan has warned the Aussie regarding his comments.

Team Newsable

Kabul, First Published Sep 13, 2021, 11:56 AM IST | Last Updated Sep 13, 2021, 11:56 AM IST

The 2021 ICC World T20 will be played at the United Arab Emirates from October 17. While 16 teams are scheduled to take part in it, Afghanistan, too, is expected to be a part of it.

However, Afghanistan is ravaged by war and is in internal turmoil following the takeover by the Taliban. Consequently, Australian Test skipper Tim Paine recently commented that it looks doubtful that the country would be a part of the tournament, especially after the Taliban banning women’s sports in the country, which the International Cricket Council might despise.

Meanwhile, Afghan skipper Asghar Afghan has warned Paine of delivering “aggressive statements without knowing the circumstances”. He asserted that Afghanistan would play WT20 and other ICC events under the current ICC regulations.

ALSO READ: Afghanistan requests Cricket Australia not to isolate it, avoid 'knee-jerk reactions'

“The @ACBofficials Team has the right to play not only in this World Cup but in all @ICC organized tournaments/events in accordance with the rules and regulations of ICC, and I’m sure that our brave National Heroes will perform their best in it... As Sportsperson & Professional Cricketer, you know that it requires too much of hard work and dedication to reach this level of Cricket. For a less privileged Cricketing Nation as Afghanistan with zero infrastructure and support reaching where we are right now and playing shoulder to shoulder with top 10 countries require sheer determination, passion and talent. Therefore, you should refrain from delivering aggressive statements which would result in isolating the Afghan Cricket,” he wrote in an open letter on his Twitter handle.

“Cricket is now the No#1 Sport in AFG and is being followed by nearly 30 million Afghans. This shows, either u r unaware of the circumstances or talking out of contradiction; in any case you r mistreating AFG Cricket and all the gains we have obtained with hardship in the past decade. Sports should be separated from politics #ICCSupportACB,” he further wrote.

Nonetheless, it is to be noted that under current ICC regulations, all nations are expected to have a women’s team in the sport. While Afghanistan named its squad for the tournament last week, skipper Rashid Khan stepped down, citing dissatisfaction at the squad. All-rounder Mohammad Nabi would be leading the side in UAE.

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