THURSDAY-MARCH 11, 2021 Sport 05 BWFA holds The life and career of Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s cricket prodigy training seminar The life and career of Afghani- At a provincial Twenty20 young man was missing. He had id, nothing,” said Hashmi. stan cricketer Rashid Khan has seen match in Kabul, playing for a club had to dash over to Afghanistan to On one occasion, Rashid was the theatrical treatment: The cur- called Kochian, Abdulrahimzai play in a tournament. dropped due to a dispute in the tains parted one day and there he watched an unknown teenager, of This to and fro was due to team and Hashmi went to his home was. small built, batting like a dervish. Rashid’s nomadic boyhood, often to make peace. Among a cast of romantic, co- “He was opening, he scored as part of a business family along- “The next time I went to the lourful cricketers from the coun- try’s fairy tale, stood the teen prod- igy, the one player ready-made for the biggest stage. Online profiles feature Rash- id’s One-Day International (ODI) debut at the age of 17, the 25 teams he has represented in various for- mats, his admiration for Pakistan’s Shahid Afridi, that whippy, whirly action, dead-eye wrong ’un, strik- ing ability with the bat, athleticism in the field and the ICC T20 Play- er of the Decade title, even though he played in only half of it. But what about the other parts of the man that was known as Rashid Arman, the sixth of 11 brothers? The dreamer who thought he would become the fam- KABUL: The Basketball four teams from female athletes tend the international competi- ily’s first doctor? The computer Wheelchair Federation of Afghan- with each team consisting of ten tions, as well,” Zirak said. science student with beautiful istan (BWFA) held a three-day athletes attended the seminar. At the seminar, Abbas Kochak handwriting? The part-time En- training and arbitration seminar Shukrullah Zirak Deputy Ex- the head coach for the Iranian Bas- glish teacher? The boy who was attended by international juries ecutive Head to the Basketball ketball Wheelchair Federation said called “Peshawari” in Afghani- from Iran, the other day. Wheelchair Federation of Afghan- sport workshops are for strength- stan’s local cricket and “muhajir” The scientific and theoretical istan (BWFA) told the participants ening friendly, cultural and social (refugee) during his college days in seminar was held in support and that the aim of the seminar was to ties, particularly in the field sport. Peshawar, Pakistan? 93. When he bowled, no one could side 10 brothers. ground, he was there. With his cooperation from the Internation- both scientifically and theoretical- “We want to identify talented There are bits that make up his read him. It hit the legs, bowled. It Cricket, the constant cones, doing his training and shut- al Committee of the Red Cross ly build the capacity of the feder- features through the training sem- life from Bati Kot to Peshawar and hit the pads, LBW. It’s like they During a period of uncertainty tle runs,” said Hashmi. (ICRC) and held at the commit- ation’s trainers and juries and pro- inar to help them attend as train- back to Afghanistan’s Jalalabad couldn’t see,” said Abdulrahimzai. and war, as the family moved be- “Others might have gone into tee’s compound. fessionalize them by the Iranian ers or juries in the international then Kabul, before his October “I had not seen a boy like that.” tween towns on the border, crick- a sulk, but he knew what he had to Up to 25 jurors and 22 train- trainers. “We want our federation’s competitions,” he said. 2015 ODI debut in Bulawayo – Rashid had been spotted, et remained the only constant. do and wasn’t going to stop. Rash- ers for 14 sport teams including trainers and juries to be able to at- Nangyalay Usmani on his way to becoming Rashid marked for attention and encour- Rashid’s skills were home- id didn’t waste time, he was driv- Khan, the superstar. agement. made, on the concrete strip inside en and completely focused. It was In the life of every cricketer, Abdulrahimzai started email- the housing compound meant for like inside, his real talents were Jos Buttler dismisses idea that England there are family, coaches and team- ing regional teams, asking them to parking cars, in taped tennis ball hidden, waiting for their time.” mates who watch their rise with a try Rashid out, pushing those who contests with his brothers, espe- We must turn to Abdulra- mix of emotions: Love, pride, de- hesitated. cially brother number two, a foot- himzai’s Urdu to understand what have prioritised T20s over Test cricket light, among lashings of envy. “Listen, I’m the domestic ball fan. Rashid’s on-field manner reflect- We begin with a story from manager, you take him, give him Once, so furious at being done ed: “Haawi rehna” (domination) with rotation policy Inzamam-ul-Haq, the former Pa- training and a trial. If you’re hap- in by Rashid, his brother wrapped and what Abdulrahimzai never saw Jos Buttler has dismissed the Africa tour and obviously we've cult situation. kistan captain who was Afghani- py with him, fine. If you’re not, extra tape on the tennis ball only in him: “Bebasi” (helplessness). suggestion that England have pri- got what is, for the moment, our "It makes complete sense to stan coach from October 2015 to he can come back.” for Rashid to get past him again. In collegiate and inter-univer- oritised T20 cricket over Test full-strength squad here in India. be here in India, ahead of a World April 2016. In 2013, Afghanistan set up the The brothers were competitive sity cricket, Hashmi said Rashid matches with their rotation poli- "I don't see it that it will be Cup, which will be played in these Looking at a list of his squad Shpageeza Cricket League, which but protective. Abdulrahimzai re- earned the reputation of being the for a 2016 tour of Sharjah, Haq was to become its national T20 members one of Rashid’s brothers spinner all batsmen thought best cy. possible for the T20 side to have a conditions, to play as best as we noted Rashid’s omission. competition, one of the many Jalil, sitting next to him during an to see off. With players having spent long full-strength squad going through can in this series against what is an periods of time in bio-secure bub- the summer so I think it is quite an While Rashid’s performance in steps Rashid would take on his early under-19 match, asking: Hoti is now director of sports excellent India side, in their own Bulawayo had not been earth-shat- meandering odyssey. “What will become of this boy? at what is now Islamia University conditions. It is probably the last tering, he – out of the roster of leg- That year, at Peshawar’s Arb- Of Rashid?” If he had asked Rash- and recalls Rashid’s “zabardast” time we'll have a full-strength squad spinners Haq had first called out ab Niaz Stadium, Islamia College id, he would have been shown him [amazing] handwriting and the available." and tried – had impressed. Coach Ali Hoti was approached the road map. At Islamia, Hoti said pressure from home to study. Buttler is back in India after So much so that Haq ended the by a teenager who introduced him- Rashid enrolled for a computer “Rashid was a good student, a leaving following England's victo- arguments with selectors by say- self as Rashid Arman and said he science degree from 2013 and the thinker. He would try to speak in ry in the first Test and believes the ing: “Only after Rashid is in the wanted to join the college and its formalised structure of cricket English, practice it every day, along break has benefited him and thinks team can you talk to me about other famous cricket programme. training and competition. with his Pashto and Urdu.” the policy will be important to things.” Islamia College alumni have Team captain Hashmi befriend- Rashid once said in an inter- helping players arrive at the Ash- Six years later, Rashid’s name represented Pakistan in various ed the quiet, new entrant and saw view that he taught English for es at the end of the year in good is first on every Afghanistan team sports. Among its celebrated crick- what Abdulrahimzai had seen: about six months before cricket sheet. eters are Haseeb Ehsan, Yasir Ha- Presence and confidence. took over as he prepared himself condition. These days, Rashid is in Abu mid, Wajahatullah Wasti and Sha- hashmi, a former opener-wick- for a life beyond college and the "We'd rather prevent problems Dhabi for the Test series against heen Shah Afridi. etkeeper who played domestic towns he called home. than react to them," the 30-year- Zimbabwe. When Hoti and team captain cricket in Pakistan, said Rashid Rashid’s first cricketing old wicketkeeper-batsman said. bles since the start of the coronavi- inaccurate statement. In the touring party is senior Sajjad Hashmi saw the youngster’s immersed himself in cricket, bare- schools – the restrictive and de- rus pandemic, England have tried "I think both Eoin and Joe, "The ECB and the players have team manager Nazeem Jar Abdul- clean-hitting with the bat and his ly spoke and never complained. manding surface of the concrete to manage the workload of their Chris Silverwood and the ECB worked closely on that and I think rahimzai, who, in his many past unorthodoxy with the ball, they “As college captain, players corridors in his family’s many multi-format players in a hectic have worked closely together to we need to get away from the idea roles in Afghanistan cricket remem- knew they had spotted a winner.