Lalchand Rajput : Mohammad Shahzad is the entertainer just like Virender Sehwag
Former Afghanistan coach, Lalchand Rajput, in a chat with SportsCafe, has likened Mohammad Shahzad’s free spirit to Virender Sehwag, stating that the former is at his best when given independence. He also reaffirmed that BCCI’s contribution to the Afghan cricket is good for the health of the game.
While bowing is undoubtedly the strongest suit of the Afghanis, their batting got exposed by India left, right, centre in the one-off Test match as the Indian bowlers made a mockery of their batting to dismantle them for a paltry score of 109 runs in the first essay and 103 runs in the second innings to complete a phenomenal innings and 262-run win over the debutants. While the batting performance showed that Afghanistan
“Spin bowling has always been Afghanistan’s strength. The likes of Rashid Khan, Mohammed Nabi, or Mujeeb Ur Rehman have always done well in the shorter versions of the game and they really have some good spinners in the domestic ranks as well. However, they need to up the ante as far as the batting is concerned. Test Cricket is a different ball game altogether. Playing red-ball needs a lot of patience, and the proper
In August, Afghanistan Cricket Board and Rajput had to part ways after the board wanted the 2007 Indian World T20-winning coach to work out of Kabul, an idea which the former India opener wasn't comfortable with and that eventually resulted in the bond being broken. However, Rajput’s stint with the team was a glorious part of the team’s journey on the international stage as the Mumbaikar helped them secure Test status and become a force to be reckoned with among the associates.
The association also helped Rajput have a clear outlook of the team and each player as well. Recalling Afghanistan’s Intercontinental Cup match against Ireland in Greater Noida, in which Afghanistan won by a margin of an innings and 172 runs, Rajput stated that the team
“When Afghanistan played Ireland in Noida, I always kept on telling Asghar Stanikzai and Rahmat Shah to play long and they scored big hundreds as well. I used to leave Mohammad Shahzad alone because he is the entertainer just like Virender Sehwag. He also dominated. But other players like Stanikzai, and Rahmat, they need to bide time and play long innings for the team. That is very important.”
The bilateral relations between the two neighbors have traditionally been very friendly as India was the only South Asian country to recognize the Soviet-backed Democratic Republic of Afghanistan in the 1980s and the BCCI, taking the tradition forward, helped Afghanistan with the infrastructure and played a big hand in their rise to the level where they are now.
Praising BCCI’s gesture, the former Indian opener acknowledged Afghanistan’s rise couldn’t have been possible without that hand of support and the latter’s zeal would take them places in, what Kevin Pietersen stated in the MAK Pataudi lecture three days back, as the “greatest
“BCCI have always been helping them. India is the No.1 team in the ICC rankings. It is a big opportunity for Afghanistan for making their Test debut against a team like India. I think all the teams that come to Test cricket first always struggle, but the plus point for Afghanistan is their passion and their hardworking nature. They always like to improve and if you look at their journey, they have got the Test status very short time. The mindset is there to improve and I am sure they will get to know the nuances of Test cricket very very soon,” he signed off.