Rashid Khan steps back from Test Cricket due to back injury concerns
In a significant blow to Afghanistan cricket, spin legend Rashid Khan has stepped away from Test cricket due to a back injury. Earlier this week, he was notably absent from the preliminary squad for the one-off Test against New Zealand set to take place in Greater Noida on September 9.
Concerns have been growing for Rashid after he sustained a hamstring injury while playing for Trent Rockets in The Hundred. According to a PTI report, Afghanistan's cricket icon will not participate in the Test format as he continues to recover from a back surgery he underwent last year.
The 25-year-old spinner was sidelined for four months following the back surgery, which took place after the ODI World Cup in India in November last year. He returned to action more recently in the T20 World Cup in the USA and the Caribbean, where he captained Afghanistan to the semifinals.
The PTI report, citing a source within the Afghanistan Cricket Board, confirms his decision to step back from Test cricket. “Rashid and the team management decided mutually on his break from the longest format considering his back issues.” mentioned in the statement.
The leggie recently participated in the Shpageeza T20 League, playing three matches for the Speen Ghar Tigers in Kabul, where he claimed a total of six wickets.
The Afghanistan cricket team arrived in Greater Noida on Wednesday and is set to undergo a one-week preparatory camp ahead of their Test match against New Zealand. Following the one-off Test, the team will travel to the UAE to face South Africa in a three-match ODI series at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium.