Taliban and Afghan flags side by side as fans enjoy a game of cricket at Kabul International Stadium

It isn't an unknown fact that Afghanistan is going through a lot ever since the Taliban outfit took over from the government. While the whole country is facing a huge&nbsp;unrest, there is some good news for the Afghanistan national men's cricket team as they've got the approval from Taliban group to play a one-off Test versus Australia, in Hobart, later this year.

There was huge concern regarding the future of cricket in Afghanistan post Taliban's entry. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) remained confident of the cricketing activities going ahead as earlier under the Taliban outfit and they have now received green signal to carry on with the Australia tour.&nbsp;

Hence, the forthcoming Test will be the first that Afghanistan will play since the Taliban's recent takeover. In this regard, the Cricket Australia (CA) has also claimed that the match was "well underway". "There is goodwill between CA and the Afghanistan Cricket Board to make the match happen, which immediately follows the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE in which the Afghanistan team is due to play. CA will continue to work with the Australian and Tasmanian governments ahead of the Afghanistan team’s arrival planned for later this year," the spokesperson said.

Despite the Taliban outfit stating that they love cricket and won't interfere with the cricketing activities of the senior men's team, the fate of the more modest women's cricket programs remain a mystery as of now.

Talking about the one-off Test between Afghanistan and Australia, it will be held in Hobart from November 27.&nbsp;

This also puts an end the uncertainty which was surrounding Afghanistan in terms of their participation in the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, to be held from October 19 in the UAE.

It isn't an unknown fact that Afghanistan is going through a lot ever since the Taliban outfit took over from the government. While the whole country is facing a huge unrest, there is some good news for the Afghanistan national men's cricket team as they've got the approval from Taliban group to play a one-off Test versus Australia, in Hobart, later this year.

It isn't an unknown fact that Afghanistan is going through a lot ever since the Taliban outfit took over from the government. While the whole country is facing a huge unrest, there is some good news for the Afghanistan national men's cricket team as they've got the approval from Taliban group to play a one-off Test versus Australia, in Hobart, later this year. There was huge concern regarding the future of cricket in Afghanistan post Taliban's entry. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) remained confident of the cricketing activities going ahead as earlier under the Taliban outfit and they have now received green signal to carry on with the Australia tour. Hence, the forthcoming Test will be the first that Afghanistan will play since the Taliban's recent takeover. In this regard, the Cricket Australia (CA) has also claimed that the match was "well underway". "There is goodwill between CA and the Afghanistan Cricket Board to make the match happen, which immediately follows the ICC T20 World Cup in the UAE in which the Afghanistan team is due to play. CA will continue to work with the Australian and Tasmanian governments ahead of the Afghanistan team’s arrival planned for later this year," the spokesperson said. Despite the Taliban outfit stating that they love cricket and won't interfere with the cricketing activities of the senior men's team, the fate of the more modest women's cricket programs remain a mystery as of now. Talking about the one-off Test between Afghanistan and Australia, it will be held in Hobart from November 27. This also puts an end the uncertainty which was surrounding Afghanistan in terms of their participation in the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup, to be held from October 19 in the UAE.

Big boost to Afghanistan as national side receives green signal from Taliban to play one-off Test versus Australia

Afghanistan woman cricketer Roya&nbsp;Samim flew to Canada along with her two sisters in the wake of the unrest back home post Taliban's entry. Ever since the Taliban terror group took over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan has been going through a severe unrest and there is a feeling of helplessness among the citizens.

While Roya left her country two days before Taliban entered Kabul, she vented out her frustration and disappointment in leaving her homeland and settling elsewhere. Speaking to The Guardian, she said, "Leaving Afghanistan, it was a sad day for me. I just cried. I really love everything that I had: my job, my cricket, my teammates, my home town, my relatives. Everything that I have, I leave behind. Even now when I remember this day I will cry. The Taliban are against girls studying, so how do they want a girl’s cricket team?"

To her knowledge, Roya feels only her sisters and she has managed to leave the troubled country in the right time. Thus, Roya remains extremely concerned about her teammates and told, "My other teammates who stay in Afghanistan are afraid, they stay in their houses. They are sad, they ask people to please help us. Emotionally and physically, they are not good."

What hurt Roya was no response that she got from the International Cricket Council (ICC). In this regard, she pointed out, "We all emailed the ICC but got no response from them,” says Samim. “Why do they not respond to us, why do they not consider us, even treat us that we don’t exist in the world? After the Taliban came into Kabul, we requested that [the ICC] please save all the girls, we are worried for our teammates. The Afghan Cricket Board [ACB] also said nothing, they said just: ‘Wait.’"

Given the grim situation in Afghanistan, many are living in uncertain times in their own country.

For the unversed, Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, however, made heads turn with his recent remark supporting the Taliban terror group, saying they've entered Taliban with a 'positive intent'.&nbsp;Afridi's&nbsp;statement comes at a time after a suicide bombing at Kabul airport killed at least 170 people, including 13 US security personnel. Hence, he received criticism from several quarters for his glaring statement.

Afghanistan woman cricketer Roya Samim flew to Canada along with her two sisters in the wake of the unrest back home post Taliban's entry. Ever since the Taliban terror group took over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan has been going through a severe unrest and there is a feeling of helplessness among the citizens.

Afghanistan woman cricketer Roya Samim flew to Canada along with her two sisters in the wake of the unrest back home post Taliban's entry. Ever since the Taliban terror group took over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan has been going through a severe unrest and there is a feeling of helplessness among the citizens. While Roya left her country two days before Taliban entered Kabul, she vented out her frustration and disappointment in leaving her homeland and settling elsewhere. Speaking to The Guardian, she said, "Leaving Afghanistan, it was a sad day for me. I just cried. I really love everything that I had: my job, my cricket, my teammates, my home town, my relatives. Everything that I have, I leave behind. Even now when I remember this day I will cry. The Taliban are against girls studying, so how do they want a girl’s cricket team?" To her knowledge, Roya feels only her sisters and she has managed to leave the troubled country in the right time. Thus, Roya remains extremely concerned about her teammates and told, "My other teammates who stay in Afghanistan are afraid, they stay in their houses. They are sad, they ask people to please help us. Emotionally and physically, they are not good." What hurt Roya was no response that she got from the International Cricket Council (ICC). In this regard, she pointed out, "We all emailed the ICC but got no response from them,” says Samim. “Why do they not respond to us, why do they not consider us, even treat us that we don’t exist in the world? After the Taliban came into Kabul, we requested that [the ICC] please save all the girls, we are worried for our teammates. The Afghan Cricket Board [ACB] also said nothing, they said just: ‘Wait.’" Given the grim situation in Afghanistan, many are living in uncertain times in their own country. For the unversed, Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi, however, made heads turn with his recent remark supporting the Taliban terror group, saying they've entered Taliban with a 'positive intent'. Afridi's statement comes at a time after a suicide bombing at Kabul airport killed at least 170 people, including 13 US security personnel. Hence, he received criticism from several quarters for his glaring statement.

We emailed ICC but got no response, reveals Afghanistan woman cricketer who left Kabul post Taliban's entry

In a candid chat with WION's principal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, the new Afghan head of mission, Tahir Qadiry lauded Indian government's position on the Afghan peace process and New Delhi's role in the country while thanking India for its support to the Afghan cricket team.

WION: How do you see the current sporting ties, with India helping to develop Afghan cricket?

Tahir Qadiry: We thank WION since it is watched widely in Afghanistan. Whenever I meet an Indian friend, it is usually about cricket which I feel is a form of new diplomacy which is linked to our national identity, national pride, national joy, and something really good, since its better than being asked about insecurity, problems in Afghanistan.

Sports is a good reputation to have for Afghanistan. Thanks to India for giving us two home grounds for our Afghan cricket team -Dehradun and Greater Noida. The cricket players our peace ambassadors, they are doing&nbsp;great work, they are coming out of ashes, they are appearing on international grounds and bringing Afghanistan victory, their presence is a big thing for Afghanistan.&nbsp;

When we had a match against India, that was the only time the whole of Afghanistan was confused, who to support or who to clap for, but in the end, it was like we don't care who wins, it was a victory for both nations. I saw a couple of tweets saying India won, but Afghanistan won the hearts.&nbsp;

WION: How do you see India's role in your country?

Tahir Qadiry: India has been contributing hugely&nbsp;in Afghanistan. I, as the in-charge of the embassy and the representative of the Afghan government, believe that India has rightly designed its projects in Afghanistan. India wanted Afghanistan to have a democratic house, so they built a house of Parliament.&nbsp;

India supports sports in Afghanistan, so they built stadiums in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif. India believes in&nbsp;infrastructure of Afghanistan, so they built the Salma dam. They have done a couple of infrastructure projects in Afghanistan which has brought changes to the lives of people.&nbsp;

I believe India has designed projects which have won the hearts and minds of people and every single Afghan, and of course Bollywood, people are so emotionally attached. while we appreciate the generous contribution of India in Afghanistan, we expect more, there are loads of other projects which are going to be implemented.&nbsp;

India is one of the most trusted regional partners of Afghanistan and Afghans have huge respect and affection for India, and our Indian brothers and sisters, so we expect more projects, especially more cultural engagement and more people-to-people contacts, so that is the reason I am here and my main mission is to promote that sort of bilateral, cultural activities and portray&nbsp;a different image of Afghanistan and encourage our Indian partners to go Afghanistan as there are loads of venues for investment and cultural engagement.

WION: How is the closure of air space by Pakistan impacting your landlocked country, especially the India-Afghan air corridor?

Tahir Qadiry: Firstly, Afghanistan is no more a land-locked country, it is a land-bridge country. Secondly, the air corridor is the biggest achievement of the Afghanistan government and his Excellency the president because regional connectivity is what the current Afghan government is looking into which is paying off.&nbsp;

Since the start of the air corridor in 2017, it has made a huge impact on the lives of traders and the frequency of flights have increased.&nbsp;

Since 2017, Afghanistan exported millions of dollars worth of dry fruits to India, but since the closure of air space, it has badly impacted passengers and our traders as well because it's more time consuming and expensive. It used to take one and a half hour, it now takes four hours.&nbsp;

I have been speaking to our students here, which is a big community, 16000, they are facing problems and challenges. It is time-consuming, and for the traders as well, imagine if they bring fresh fruits from Kabul, it takes longer&nbsp;now, it rots. So its impacting lives of the people, ordinary Afghans, the people form part of medical tourism for India and as well as tourists who come just for sightseeing.&nbsp;

WION: Status of the &nbsp;Afghan peace process, how do you see India's role?

Tahir Qadiry: There are a lot of efforts to have a political settlement initiated by the United States, of course, you know the Afghan government has always said, any political settlement should be Afghan-controlled, Afghan-owned&nbsp;and Afghan-controlled.&nbsp;

That is why our president and senior officials have been advocating a kind of coalition&nbsp;that can form and establish regional consensus around the peace talks.&nbsp;

The Afghan government is hopeful it can achieve some good results. We should not forget whatever the agreement, the "red line" for the Afghan government is the constitution and activist, the younger generation is drawing the "red lines".&nbsp;

Afghanistan has achieved a lot in the last 18 years, we have freedom of expression and achievement in social and cultural and other spheres of society, so we have a new generation which is dynamic, committed and patriotic and very open-minded and these are the gains the Afghan government wants to preserve and safeguard.

We are quite hopeful that these gains will be preserved as the Afghan government is trying to engage with the countries and stakeholders involved that if there is a peace deal, they should support from the position of the Afghan government.&nbsp;

As far as India is concerned, the Indian government supports the position of the Afghan government, which is very much appreciated because that is what the Afghan government wants because if there is a peace deal, it should be led and controlled by the Afghan government. Recently our president called a loya jirga, attended by many people, activists, women, elders and influential people, and after that, they drew some lines, that is the road map our government is working on regarding the peace process.&nbsp;

WION: Your proactive diplomacy is getting you a lot of fans, the new age Afghan diplomacy...

Tahir Qadiry: That is exactly what I wanted when I was posted here, that we should be more responsive. So I launched a couple of cultural engagement programmes - the first thing I thought we must do&nbsp;was open up cultural diplomacy which is something that works with &nbsp;Indians and Afghans.&nbsp;

Sometime you will not believe, I wake up at 3am and check my Twitter account and I feel more responsive. It is a high and very big responsibility on my shoulder.&nbsp;

I have to be responsive both to my people and to Indians who would like to travel and visit Afghanistan, for example, we launched a hotline, and there is&nbsp;an email address and a phone number.&nbsp;

Sometimes, it really doesn't matter what time it is, when I go there and an Indian sends me a message and says he comes from a part of India and he would like to donate some books to a school in Bamiyan, I felt&nbsp;so inspired and I said: look, every penny counts, so this is&nbsp;what is cultural engagement.

Perhaps based on my background that is one thing, but the second thing is that Afghanistan is at a very serious juncture and it is upon us to engage more and make the best of the situation.

In a candid chat with WION's principal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, the new Afghan head of mission, Tahir Qadiry lauded Indian government's position on the Afghan peace process and New Delhi's role in the country while thanking India for its support to the Afghan cricket team.

In a candid chat with WION's principal diplomatic correspondent Sidhant Sibal, the new Afghan head of mission, Tahir Qadiry lauded Indian government's position on the Afghan peace process and New Delhi's role in the country while thanking India for its support to the Afghan cricket team. WION: How do you see the current sporting ties, with India helping to develop Afghan cricket? Tahir Qadiry: We thank WION since it is watched widely in Afghanistan. Whenever I meet an Indian friend, it is usually about cricket which I feel is a form of new diplomacy which is linked to our national identity, national pride, national joy, and something really good, since its better than being asked about insecurity, problems in Afghanistan. Sports is a good reputation to have for Afghanistan. Thanks to India for giving us two home grounds for our Afghan cricket team -Dehradun and Greater Noida. The cricket players our peace ambassadors, they are doing great work, they are coming out of ashes, they are appearing on international grounds and bringing Afghanistan victory, their presence is a big thing for Afghanistan. When we had a match against India, that was the only time the whole of Afghanistan was confused, who to support or who to clap for, but in the end, it was like we don't care who wins, it was a victory for both nations. I saw a couple of tweets saying India won, but Afghanistan won the hearts. WION: How do you see India's role in your country? Tahir Qadiry: India has been contributing hugely in Afghanistan. I, as the in-charge of the embassy and the representative of the Afghan government, believe that India has rightly designed its projects in Afghanistan. India wanted Afghanistan to have a democratic house, so they built a house of Parliament. India supports sports in Afghanistan, so they built stadiums in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif. India believes in infrastructure of Afghanistan, so they built the Salma dam. They have done a couple of infrastructure projects in Afghanistan which has brought changes to the lives of people. I believe India has designed projects which have won the hearts and minds of people and every single Afghan, and of course Bollywood, people are so emotionally attached. while we appreciate the generous contribution of India in Afghanistan, we expect more, there are loads of other projects which are going to be implemented. India is one of the most trusted regional partners of Afghanistan and Afghans have huge respect and affection for India, and our Indian brothers and sisters, so we expect more projects, especially more cultural engagement and more people-to-people contacts, so that is the reason I am here and my main mission is to promote that sort of bilateral, cultural activities and portray a different image of Afghanistan and encourage our Indian partners to go Afghanistan as there are loads of venues for investment and cultural engagement. WION: How is the closure of air space by Pakistan impacting your landlocked country, especially the India-Afghan air corridor? Tahir Qadiry: Firstly, Afghanistan is no more a land-locked country, it is a land-bridge country. Secondly, the air corridor is the biggest achievement of the Afghanistan government and his Excellency the president because regional connectivity is what the current Afghan government is looking into which is paying off. Since the start of the air corridor in 2017, it has made a huge impact on the lives of traders and the frequency of flights have increased. Since 2017, Afghanistan exported millions of dollars worth of dry fruits to India, but since the closure of air space, it has badly impacted passengers and our traders as well because it's more time consuming and expensive. It used to take one and a half hour, it now takes four hours. I have been speaking to our students here, which is a big community, 16000, they are facing problems and challenges. It is time-consuming, and for the traders as well, imagine if they bring fresh fruits from Kabul, it takes longer now, it rots. So its impacting lives of the people, ordinary Afghans, the people form part of medical tourism for India and as well as tourists who come just for sightseeing. WION: Status of the Afghan peace process, how do you see India's role? Tahir Qadiry: There are a lot of efforts to have a political settlement initiated by the United States, of course, you know the Afghan government has always said, any political settlement should be Afghan-controlled, Afghan-owned and Afghan-controlled. That is why our president and senior officials have been advocating a kind of coalition that can form and establish regional consensus around the peace talks. The Afghan government is hopeful it can achieve some good results. We should not forget whatever the agreement, the "red line" for the Afghan government is the constitution and activist, the younger generation is drawing the "red lines". Afghanistan has achieved a lot in the last 18 years, we have freedom of expression and achievement in social and cultural and other spheres of society, so we have a new generation which is dynamic, committed and patriotic and very open-minded and these are the gains the Afghan government wants to preserve and safeguard. We are quite hopeful that these gains will be preserved as the Afghan government is trying to engage with the countries and stakeholders involved that if there is a peace deal, they should support from the position of the Afghan government. As far as India is concerned, the Indian government supports the position of the Afghan government, which is very much appreciated because that is what the Afghan government wants because if there is a peace deal, it should be led and controlled by the Afghan government. Recently our president called a loya jirga, attended by many people, activists, women, elders and influential people, and after that, they drew some lines, that is the road map our government is working on regarding the peace process. WION: Your proactive diplomacy is getting you a lot of fans, the new age Afghan diplomacy... Tahir Qadiry: That is exactly what I wanted when I was posted here, that we should be more responsive. So I launched a couple of cultural engagement programmes - the first thing I thought we must do was open up cultural diplomacy which is something that works with Indians and Afghans. Sometime you will not believe, I wake up at 3am and check my Twitter account and I feel more responsive. It is a high and very big responsibility on my shoulder. I have to be responsive both to my people and to Indians who would like to travel and visit Afghanistan, for example, we launched a hotline, and there is an email address and a phone number. Sometimes, it really doesn't matter what time it is, when I go there and an Indian sends me a message and says he comes from a part of India and he would like to donate some books to a school in Bamiyan, I felt so inspired and I said: look, every penny counts, so this is what is cultural engagement. Perhaps based on my background that is one thing, but the second thing is that Afghanistan is at a very serious juncture and it is upon us to engage more and make the best of the situation.

India one of our most trusted regional partners: Tahir Qadiry, Afghan head of mission to WION

The Afghan cricket team will soon be sporting a logo of an Indian company on their jerseys. India's well-known dairy brand, Amul will be sponsoring Afghan cricket team for upcoming <a href="https://www.wionews.com/search?q=ICC+Cricket+World+Cup">ICC Cricket World Cup</a> in England and Wales, which is scheduled to kick off from May 30.&nbsp;

MD of Amul RS Sodhi&nbsp;speaking to WION on the announcement said, "Amul is the main sponsor. On the arm and jersey, we will have Amul logo. It's our first sponsorship of a cricket team. We have high hopes. Let us see how it goes."

Thanking, Amul, India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI),&nbsp;Asadullah Khan, the CEO of Afghan cricket board told WION, "You know, cricket is number one sports in Afghanistan. Everyone love and likes cricket. Its good sign of peace. BCCI is helping us, and also the govt, it's a good opportunity. It will help in peace."

Amul is the first sponsor from India of an Afghan cricket team.

Asked about India's role in supporting Afghan cricket Asadullah said, "India has helped us. Embassy of India has helped us. They are making grounds. They making ground in Kandahar. They promised us, they will make a rehab center in Kabul for Afghan cricket."&nbsp;

India is helping building Kandahar cricket stadium. With a capacity of 14,000, the stadium is being built with $1million grant from India. New Delhi is also building a stadium in Mazar-e-Sharif.&nbsp;

Other than this, India is providing two "home grounds"&nbsp;in Greater Noida and Dehradun for Afghan team and also, technical and logistical support for players and the Afghanistan Cricket Board.&nbsp;

Afghan team will play a warm-up match with Pakistan on May 24 with England on May 27.&nbsp;

The schedule of World Cup matches of Afghanistan team is as follows:&nbsp;

VS Australia on June 1 
VS Sri Lanka on June 4 
VS New Zealand on June 8 
VS South Africa on June 15 
VS England on June 18 
VS India on June 22 
VS Bangladesh on June 24 
VS Pakistan on June 29 
VS West Indes on July 4

The Afghan cricket team will soon be sporting a logo of an Indian company on their jerseys. India's well-known dairy brand, Amul will be sponsoring Afghan cricket team for upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales, which is scheduled to kick off from May 30.

The Afghan cricket team will soon be sporting a logo of an Indian company on their jerseys. India's well-known dairy brand, Amul will be sponsoring Afghan cricket team for upcoming ICC Cricket World Cup in England and Wales, which is scheduled to kick off from May 30. MD of Amul RS Sodhi speaking to WION on the announcement said, "Amul is the main sponsor. On the arm and jersey, we will have Amul logo. It's our first sponsorship of a cricket team. We have high hopes. Let us see how it goes." Thanking, Amul, India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Asadullah Khan, the CEO of Afghan cricket board told WION, "You know, cricket is number one sports in Afghanistan. Everyone love and likes cricket. Its good sign of peace. BCCI is helping us, and also the govt, it's a good opportunity. It will help in peace." Amul is the first sponsor from India of an Afghan cricket team. Asked about India's role in supporting Afghan cricket Asadullah said, "India has helped us. Embassy of India has helped us. They are making grounds. They making ground in Kandahar. They promised us, they will make a rehab center in Kabul for Afghan cricket." India is helping building Kandahar cricket stadium. With a capacity of 14,000, the stadium is being built with $1million grant from India. New Delhi is also building a stadium in Mazar-e-Sharif. Other than this, India is providing two "home grounds" in Greater Noida and Dehradun for Afghan team and also, technical and logistical support for players and the Afghanistan Cricket Board. Afghan team will play a warm-up match with Pakistan on May 24 with England on May 27. The schedule of World Cup matches of Afghanistan team is as follows: VS Australia on June 1 VS Sri Lanka on June 4 VS New Zealand on June 8 VS South Africa on June 15 VS England on June 18 VS India on June 22 VS Bangladesh on June 24 VS Pakistan on June 29 VS West Indes on July 4

'Good sign of peace,' says Afghanistan cricket board on getting Indian sponsor for ICC World Cup 2019

Trailblazing bowler Rashid Khan said Afghanistan will fear no one when the World Cup starts in May after a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/afghanistan-beat-ireland-for-historic-first-test-victory-204030">maiden Test win</a> enhanced the reputation of the rising cricket nation.

Khan, who is one of the world's leading bowlers in short-form cricket, said Afghanistan's confidence was growing after beating Ireland on Monday in just their second Test match.

The 20-year-old leg-spinner, who tops the world Twenty20 bowling rankings and lies third in the 50-over standings, took five for 82 as Afghanistan beat their fellow Test newcomers in Dehradun.

Before an expected starring role for Sunrisers Hyderabad when the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) begins at the weekend, Khan said Aghanistan's cricketers now need only to believe in themselves.

"We have the talent and we have the skills," he told AFP in an interview.

At last year's Asia Cup, Afghanistan made a breakthrough by topping their group in the 50-over competition ahead of established Test nations Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

'Believe in your skills'

"How we played in the Asia Cup was totally different and we showed that we can beat any side," said Khan, whose side even tied a match with heavyweights India in the last-four stage.

"The only thing is to believe in your skills. Just to be relaxed in big matches and enjoy your game," he said.&nbsp;

"And that's how we should be in the World Cup."

War-torn Afghanistan only gained one-day international (ODI) status in 2009 and Test status in 2017, but their recent rise has coincided with Khan's emergence as a world-class spinner.

He made his ODI debut in 2015 as a 17-year-old and credits fast-paced Twenty20 tournaments such as the IPL for developing his bowling repertoire, which includes a mesmerising googly.

"The IPL gives you lot of motivation. Once you play in these leagues, it gives you confidence playing with big players," said Khan, who cost Hyderabad $597,000 in 2017 and took 21 wickets for them last year.

"And then you perform there on flat wickets like the IPL and that gives you a kind of satisfaction and confidence that I can deliver when I am in the national side."

Khan has travelled the world to take part in Twenty20 leagues including Australia's Big Bash, the Caribbean Premier League and the Pakistan Super League.

"It really helps to improve your skills working with different coaches and players," he said. "Pick their thoughts and experience and that really helps you improve your game."

Khan, one of 12 siblings, learnt his cricket with a tennis ball in the remote and humble province of Nangarhar before making his international debut against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.

The world took notice when he became the fastest bowler to 100 ODI wickets, completing the milestone in 44 games, eight fewer than Australia's Mitchell Starc. He now has 123 in 57 matches.

'I don't pressure myself'

Khan says the key to his success is that he focuses only on practising and playing despite bearing the huge expectation that he will take wickets every time he bowls.

"I don't put that pressure on myself. I keep trying to enjoy myself. Enjoy my bowling whether I take wickets or not," he said.

"I focus on doing the right things and bowl well. I don't focus on the result but focus on my hard work."

Khan, who is a big fan of Pakistan all-round great Shahid Afridi, said it was tough learning to play cricket in a country ravaged by war for decades.

While many of the Afghanistan's players learnt the game in refugee camps across the border in Pakistan, Khan played with his seven brothers to hone his skills.

"It was tough because of the lack of facilities. No good grounds and equipment. But we still enjoyed our cricket," said Khan with a smile.

"We never put it in our mind that we don't have facilities or stuff like that and tried to focus on our game.&nbsp;

"My brothers used to watch and play cricket and that's how I became a big fan of the game."

Afghanistan lost their debut Test to top-ranked India inside two days in 2018, but came back a much-improved side against Ireland a year later.

"The win against Ireland will help motivate our first-class cricketers," Khan said. "People will start loving Tests rather than Twenty20s and ODIs."

Trailblazing bowler Rashid Khan said Afghanistan will fear no one when the World Cup starts in May after a maiden Test win enhanced the reputation of the rising cricket nation.

Trailblazing bowler Rashid Khan said Afghanistan will fear no one when the World Cup starts in May after a maiden Test win enhanced the reputation of the rising cricket nation. Khan, who is one of the world's leading bowlers in short-form cricket, said Afghanistan's confidence was growing after beating Ireland on Monday in just their second Test match. The 20-year-old leg-spinner, who tops the world Twenty20 bowling rankings and lies third in the 50-over standings, took five for 82 as Afghanistan beat their fellow Test newcomers in Dehradun. Before an expected starring role for Sunrisers Hyderabad when the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) begins at the weekend, Khan said Aghanistan's cricketers now need only to believe in themselves. "We have the talent and we have the skills," he told AFP in an interview. At last year's Asia Cup, Afghanistan made a breakthrough by topping their group in the 50-over competition ahead of established Test nations Bangladesh and Sri Lanka. 'Believe in your skills' "How we played in the Asia Cup was totally different and we showed that we can beat any side," said Khan, whose side even tied a match with heavyweights India in the last-four stage. "The only thing is to believe in your skills. Just to be relaxed in big matches and enjoy your game," he said. "And that's how we should be in the World Cup." War-torn Afghanistan only gained one-day international (ODI) status in 2009 and Test status in 2017, but their recent rise has coincided with Khan's emergence as a world-class spinner. He made his ODI debut in 2015 as a 17-year-old and credits fast-paced Twenty20 tournaments such as the IPL for developing his bowling repertoire, which includes a mesmerising googly. "The IPL gives you lot of motivation. Once you play in these leagues, it gives you confidence playing with big players," said Khan, who cost Hyderabad $597,000 in 2017 and took 21 wickets for them last year. "And then you perform there on flat wickets like the IPL and that gives you a kind of satisfaction and confidence that I can deliver when I am in the national side." Khan has travelled the world to take part in Twenty20 leagues including Australia's Big Bash, the Caribbean Premier League and the Pakistan Super League. "It really helps to improve your skills working with different coaches and players," he said. "Pick their thoughts and experience and that really helps you improve your game." Khan, one of 12 siblings, learnt his cricket with a tennis ball in the remote and humble province of Nangarhar before making his international debut against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo. The world took notice when he became the fastest bowler to 100 ODI wickets, completing the milestone in 44 games, eight fewer than Australia's Mitchell Starc. He now has 123 in 57 matches. 'I don't pressure myself' Khan says the key to his success is that he focuses only on practising and playing despite bearing the huge expectation that he will take wickets every time he bowls. "I don't put that pressure on myself. I keep trying to enjoy myself. Enjoy my bowling whether I take wickets or not," he said. "I focus on doing the right things and bowl well. I don't focus on the result but focus on my hard work." Khan, who is a big fan of Pakistan all-round great Shahid Afridi, said it was tough learning to play cricket in a country ravaged by war for decades. While many of the Afghanistan's players learnt the game in refugee camps across the border in Pakistan, Khan played with his seven brothers to hone his skills. "It was tough because of the lack of facilities. No good grounds and equipment. But we still enjoyed our cricket," said Khan with a smile. "We never put it in our mind that we don't have facilities or stuff like that and tried to focus on our game. "My brothers used to watch and play cricket and that's how I became a big fan of the game." Afghanistan lost their debut Test to top-ranked India inside two days in 2018, but came back a much-improved side against Ireland a year later. "The win against Ireland will help motivate our first-class cricketers," Khan said. "People will start loving Tests rather than Twenty20s and ODIs."

Bring on the World Cup, we fear no one: Rashid Khan

Amid political tensions, Pakistan Prime Minister and former cricketer Imran Khan congratulated the Afghanistan cricket team for registering their maiden Test win.

Afghanistan defeated Ireland by seven wickets in a one-off game in Dehradun on Monday.

Taking to his Twitter handle, Imran Khan congratulated the side saying, “Congratulations to Afghanistan on their team’s first ever win in test cricket. The Afghan cricketers have achieved amazing successes in such a short period of their exposure to international cricket.” He also posted the congratulatory message in Urdu and Pashto.

Afghanistan recorded their maiden Test win nine months after making their debut in the longest format,&nbsp;

Chasing 147 for victory, Afghanistan rode on a 139-run second-wicket partnership between Rahmat Shah and Ihsanullah Janat to secure a historic win months after their Test debut against India.

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Congratulations to Afghanistan on their team's first ever win in test cricket. The Afghan cricketers have achieved amazing successes in such a short period of their exposure to international cricket.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ImranKhanPTI/status/1107688821850804226?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 18, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The political tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan took a toll on the cricketing ties. The relation deteriorated after a bomb attack in Kabul in 2017 which had killed 90 people and injured nearly 500 more.

Amid political tensions, Pakistan Prime Minister and former cricketer Imran Khan congratulated the Afghanistan cricket team for registering their maiden Test win.

Amid political tensions, Pakistan Prime Minister and former cricketer Imran Khan congratulated the Afghanistan cricket team for registering their maiden Test win. Afghanistan defeated Ireland by seven wickets in a one-off game in Dehradun on Monday. Taking to his Twitter handle, Imran Khan congratulated the side saying, “Congratulations to Afghanistan on their team’s first ever win in test cricket. The Afghan cricketers have achieved amazing successes in such a short period of their exposure to international cricket.” He also posted the congratulatory message in Urdu and Pashto. Afghanistan recorded their maiden Test win nine months after making their debut in the longest format, Chasing 147 for victory, Afghanistan rode on a 139-run second-wicket partnership between Rahmat Shah and Ihsanullah Janat to secure a historic win months after their Test debut against India. Congratulations to Afghanistan on their team's first ever win in test cricket. The Afghan cricketers have achieved amazing successes in such a short period of their exposure to international cricket. — Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 18, 2019 × The political tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan took a toll on the cricketing ties. The relation deteriorated after a bomb attack in Kabul in 2017 which had killed 90 people and injured nearly 500 more.

Amid political tensions, Pakistan PM Imran Khan congratulates Afghanistan cricket team on maiden Test win

Afghanistan's cricket team claimed a historic first Test win on Monday as they beat Ireland by seven wickets.

Rahmat&nbsp;Shah and Ihsanullah Janat scored fifties for the war-torn country as they chased down 147 for victory on day four in Dehradun, India.

Afghanistan were steered to their target by a 139-run partnership between Shah, who made 76, and debutant Janat, who hit an unbeaten 65.

Shah, a top-order batsman, registered his second fifty of the match after making 98 in Afghanistan's first innings score of 314.

With three needed to win, Afghanistan lost Shah and then Mohammad Nabi in successive deliveries before Hashmatullah Shahidi came to the crease and hit the winning boundary to trigger celebrations in the Afghanistan camp.

Ace spinner Rashid Khan, who is second in the ICC one-day international rankings, had played a key role in the historic win by taking five wickets on Sunday's day three to help dismiss Ireland for 288 in their second innings.

Khan returned career-best figures of five for 82 to stall Ireland's resurgence after Andy Balbirnie and Kevin O'Brien had hit gritty half-centuries.

Balbirnie made 82 and O'Brien 56 before a 10th-wicket 58-run partnership between James Cameron-Dow and Tim Murtagh set up the potentially tricky chase for the Afghans.

Spinner Andy McBrine had opener Mohammad Shahzad caught behind for two in the final session on day three before Janat and Shah played out the last few overs.

The overnight batsmen were tested by the Ireland bowlers early in Monday's morning session with Janat surviving a reprieve on 18.

Stuart Thompson spilled an easy catch at extra cover off George Dockrell and Janat cashed in alongside the in-form Shah.

Paceman Yamin Ahmadzai and spinner Mohammad Nabi took three wickets each on the opening day to bowl out Ireland for 172.

Shah and skipper Asghar Afghan, who made 67 to steer their team to a crucial first-innings lead of 142.

For Ireland Tim Murtagh stood out with scores of 54 not out and 27 batting at number 11.

It was Afghanistan's second Test outing after making their debut last year when they lost to India inside two days in Bangalore. Ireland have also played two five-day games.

Afghanistan's cricket team claimed a historic first Test win on Monday as they beat Ireland by seven wickets. Rahmat Shah and Ihsanullah Janat scored fifties for the war-torn country as they chased down 147 for victory on day four in Dehradun, India.

Afghanistan's cricket team claimed a historic first Test win on Monday as they beat Ireland by seven wickets. Rahmat Shah and Ihsanullah Janat scored fifties for the war-torn country as they chased down 147 for victory on day four in Dehradun, India. Afghanistan were steered to their target by a 139-run partnership between Shah, who made 76, and debutant Janat, who hit an unbeaten 65. Shah, a top-order batsman, registered his second fifty of the match after making 98 in Afghanistan's first innings score of 314. With three needed to win, Afghanistan lost Shah and then Mohammad Nabi in successive deliveries before Hashmatullah Shahidi came to the crease and hit the winning boundary to trigger celebrations in the Afghanistan camp. Ace spinner Rashid Khan, who is second in the ICC one-day international rankings, had played a key role in the historic win by taking five wickets on Sunday's day three to help dismiss Ireland for 288 in their second innings. Khan returned career-best figures of five for 82 to stall Ireland's resurgence after Andy Balbirnie and Kevin O'Brien had hit gritty half-centuries. Balbirnie made 82 and O'Brien 56 before a 10th-wicket 58-run partnership between James Cameron-Dow and Tim Murtagh set up the potentially tricky chase for the Afghans. Spinner Andy McBrine had opener Mohammad Shahzad caught behind for two in the final session on day three before Janat and Shah played out the last few overs. The overnight batsmen were tested by the Ireland bowlers early in Monday's morning session with Janat surviving a reprieve on 18. Stuart Thompson spilled an easy catch at extra cover off George Dockrell and Janat cashed in alongside the in-form Shah. Paceman Yamin Ahmadzai and spinner Mohammad Nabi took three wickets each on the opening day to bowl out Ireland for 172. Shah and skipper Asghar Afghan, who made 67 to steer their team to a crucial first-innings lead of 142. For Ireland Tim Murtagh stood out with scores of 54 not out and 27 batting at number 11. It was Afghanistan's second Test outing after making their debut last year when they lost to India inside two days in Bangalore. Ireland have also played two five-day games.

Afghanistan beat Ireland for historic first Test victory

Afghanistan's spin sensation Rashid Khan has become the number one-ranked all-rounder in one-day internationals after his excellent performance in the recently concluded 2018 Asia Cup.

Rashid Khan topped bowling charts picking up 10 wickets from five matches, and also scored 87 runs at an average of 43.50 and displaced former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan from the top position.

In the bowlers' list, Rashid has retained his number two spot whereas India's yorker specialist Jasprit Bumrah is number one.

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RASHID KHAN IS NO.1! 
 
The Afghanistan spinner leads the way in the <a href="https://twitter.com/MRFWorldwide?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MRFWorldwide</a> ICC ODI all-rounders' rankings following the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2018</a>. ⬇️<a href="https://t.co/7UyP5yw1xh">https://t.co/7UyP5yw1xh</a> <a href="https://t.co/BiAvDja7Zs">pic.twitter.com/BiAvDja7Zs</a>
— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1046286839668047872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 30, 2018</a></blockquote>
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While 17-year-old spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has moved up 15 places to take the eighth place after finishing with seven wickets in the Asia Cup. Nabi meanwhile has gained two slots to reach the 15th position.

Afghanistan were outstanding, beating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the group stage and then losing to Pakistan and Bangladesh in last-over finishes in the Super Fours before tying their game against India.

Indian opener <a href="http://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-attains-career-best-ranking-after-asia-cup-glory-168537">Rohit Sharma&nbsp;has jumped two places to attain a career-best second position</a> in the ODI player ranking.

Afghanistan's spin sensation Rashid Khan has become the number one-ranked all-rounder in one-day internationals after his excellent performance in the recently concluded 2018 Asia Cup.

Afghanistan's spin sensation Rashid Khan has become the number one-ranked all-rounder in one-day internationals after his excellent performance in the recently concluded 2018 Asia Cup. Rashid Khan topped bowling charts picking up 10 wickets from five matches, and also scored 87 runs at an average of 43.50 and displaced former Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan from the top position. In the bowlers' list, Rashid has retained his number two spot whereas India's yorker specialist Jasprit Bumrah is number one. RASHID KHAN IS NO.1! The Afghanistan spinner leads the way in the @MRFWorldwide ICC ODI all-rounders' rankings following the #AsiaCup2018. ⬇️https://t.co/7UyP5yw1xh pic.twitter.com/BiAvDja7Zs — ICC (@ICC) September 30, 2018 × While 17-year-old spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman has moved up 15 places to take the eighth place after finishing with seven wickets in the Asia Cup. Nabi meanwhile has gained two slots to reach the 15th position. Afghanistan were outstanding, beating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh in the group stage and then losing to Pakistan and Bangladesh in last-over finishes in the Super Fours before tying their game against India. Indian opener Rohit Sharma has jumped two places to attain a career-best second position in the ODI player ranking.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan jumps to No.1 in ODI all-rounder rankings

Having already sealed their place in the 2018 Asia Cup final, defending champions India will look to continue their winning streak when they face Afghanistan on Tuesday.

The Rohit-Sharma side recently registered a 9-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan to confirm their place in the finals.&nbsp;

On Sunday, Indian openers Rohit Sharma, also the captain, and Shikhar Dhawan slammed a century each&nbsp;to achieve Pakistan's below-par target of 237.

The duo played brilliantly to stitch together a 210-run stand, with Dhawan departing after contributing 114 runs.&nbsp;

India had earlier defeated Bangladesh in their first Super 4 match, to remain as the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far.&nbsp;

India will be aiming to continue their dominance over the Asian newbies, who have managed to give a tough fight in their narrow defeats to the likes of Pakistan and Bangladesh in their Super Four clashes.&nbsp;

While Pakistan managed to win a last-over thriller over the Afghans by 3 wickets, Bangladesh on Sunday pipped Afghanistan by 3 runs to set up a virtual semi-final with Pakistan on Wednesday.

The game is also a chance for India to rest a few players and give the opportunity to other young talents.

Having already sealed their place in the 2018 Asia Cup final, defending champions India will look to continue their winning streak when they face Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Having already sealed their place in the 2018 Asia Cup final, defending champions India will look to continue their winning streak when they face Afghanistan on Tuesday. The Rohit-Sharma side recently registered a 9-wicket victory over arch-rivals Pakistan to confirm their place in the finals. On Sunday, Indian openers Rohit Sharma, also the captain, and Shikhar Dhawan slammed a century each to achieve Pakistan's below-par target of 237. The duo played brilliantly to stitch together a 210-run stand, with Dhawan departing after contributing 114 runs. India had earlier defeated Bangladesh in their first Super 4 match, to remain as the only unbeaten team in the tournament so far. India will be aiming to continue their dominance over the Asian newbies, who have managed to give a tough fight in their narrow defeats to the likes of Pakistan and Bangladesh in their Super Four clashes. While Pakistan managed to win a last-over thriller over the Afghans by 3 wickets, Bangladesh on Sunday pipped Afghanistan by 3 runs to set up a virtual semi-final with Pakistan on Wednesday. The game is also a chance for India to rest a few players and give the opportunity to other young talents.

Asia Cup: Already in finals, India aim to extend winning streak against Afghanistan

Afghanistan spin sensation&nbsp;Rashid&nbsp;Khan&nbsp;bid farewell to his teenage years with an exemplary all-round performance to help his side thrash Bangladesh in their Asian Cup clash in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Rashid&nbsp;smashed an unbeaten 57 off 32 deliveries, in a knock that included eight fours and a six, to lift Afghanistan to 255 for seven and then returned to torment Bangladesh with the ball in a man of the match display in the 136-run victory.

Celebrating his 20th birthday, he could do little wrong, finishing with figures of 2-13 in nine overs and also effecting a run out with a direct hit.

"It was a special day for me and I am really happy for my performance. The best thing is I contributed in batting, bowling and fielding,"&nbsp;Rashid&nbsp;said when collecting his award at the post-match presentation.

"That's what we work so hard for. We will do our best to continue this form."

Rashid&nbsp;has made rapid strides since his international debut as a 17-year-old in October 2015, and in February he became the youngest player to top the International Cricket Council bowler rankings in both white-ball formats.

His stock as a batsman is also on the rise as he completed his third one-day international half-century on Thursday.

"I wanted to bat until the end whatever the total we get," he said, having added 95 for the unbroken eighth wicket with Gulbadin Naib, who scored 42 off 38 balls. "I wanted to focus on each and every ball, and finish the innings."

Rashid&nbsp;has played a major role in Afghanistan's journey to becoming a test-playing nation, and earlier in the year became the fastest to take 100 wickets in ODIs, beating Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc's achievement by eight matches.

He is already a renowned strike bowler and has made a name for himself in Twenty20 leagues around the world, proving his worth in both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Australia's Big Bash League (BBL).

He was introduced in the 22nd over on Thursday and soon made his mark by dismissing all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for 32, cutting short Bangladesh's recovery bid after they were earlier reduced to 43-4.

"I come late to bowl in ODIs and T20s because I want to build the pressure on the batsmen, bowl more dot balls which help me get wickets,"&nbsp;Rashid&nbsp;added.

Afghanistan spin sensation Rashid Khan bid farewell to his teenage years with an exemplary all-round performance to help his side thrash Bangladesh in their Asian Cup clash in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Afghanistan spin sensation Rashid Khan bid farewell to his teenage years with an exemplary all-round performance to help his side thrash Bangladesh in their Asian Cup clash in Abu Dhabi on Thursday. Rashid smashed an unbeaten 57 off 32 deliveries, in a knock that included eight fours and a six, to lift Afghanistan to 255 for seven and then returned to torment Bangladesh with the ball in a man of the match display in the 136-run victory. Celebrating his 20th birthday, he could do little wrong, finishing with figures of 2-13 in nine overs and also effecting a run out with a direct hit. "It was a special day for me and I am really happy for my performance. The best thing is I contributed in batting, bowling and fielding," Rashid said when collecting his award at the post-match presentation. "That's what we work so hard for. We will do our best to continue this form." Rashid has made rapid strides since his international debut as a 17-year-old in October 2015, and in February he became the youngest player to top the International Cricket Council bowler rankings in both white-ball formats. His stock as a batsman is also on the rise as he completed his third one-day international half-century on Thursday. "I wanted to bat until the end whatever the total we get," he said, having added 95 for the unbroken eighth wicket with Gulbadin Naib, who scored 42 off 38 balls. "I wanted to focus on each and every ball, and finish the innings." Rashid has played a major role in Afghanistan's journey to becoming a test-playing nation, and earlier in the year became the fastest to take 100 wickets in ODIs, beating Australia fast bowler Mitchell Starc's achievement by eight matches. He is already a renowned strike bowler and has made a name for himself in Twenty20 leagues around the world, proving his worth in both the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Australia's Big Bash League (BBL). He was introduced in the 22nd over on Thursday and soon made his mark by dismissing all-rounder Shakib Al Hasan for 32, cutting short Bangladesh's recovery bid after they were earlier reduced to 43-4. "I come late to bowl in ODIs and T20s because I want to build the pressure on the batsmen, bowl more dot balls which help me get wickets," Rashid added.

Asia Cup 2018: Afghan sensation Rashid celebrates 20th birthday in style