Will Rashid Khan be sacked as Afghanistan's T20I captain?
What's the story
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has hinted at a possible leadership change in the wake of the team's disappointing performance at the ICC T20 World Cup. The speculation comes as Afghanistan failed to progress beyond the group stage of two consecutive global tournaments. They also missed out on qualifying for the Super 4s of the T20 Asia Cup held in Dubai.
Leadership concerns
Rashid's captaincy under scrutiny
Rashid Khan, one of Afghanistan's most celebrated cricketers and a top T20 bowler globally, has been at the helm since 2019. He had stepped down ahead of the 2021 T20 World Cup due to selection disagreements but returned to captaincy after Mohammad Nabi's resignation post-Afghanistan's 2022 T20 World Cup campaign in Australia. However, his inability to lead the team past group stages in consecutive global events has raised questions about his leadership.
Board's stance
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan addresses the situation
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan has confirmed that the board is considering reforms within the team, but no final decision has been made yet. "If you are building a team for the future, changes are inevitable," he told Cricbuzz. "We have already changed the head coach, batting coach, and trainer, and similar adjustments will also be made within the team."
Management overhaul
Management overhaul in progress
The ACB has already made major changes in the team management, appointing Toby Radford as batting coach ahead of the World Cup and replacing long-serving Jonathan Trott with Richard Pybus. Trott's exit was expected due to his strained relationship with the board. However, it remains to be seen if a similar change in leadership will follow after Afghanistan's disappointing performance at the T20 World Cup.
Coaching strategy
Richard Pybus to join as head coach
Afghanistan's new head coach Richard Pybus has expressed his willingness to work with the team. His appointment marks a shift from the previous practice of hiring foreign coaches only for international assignments. Naseeb confirmed that Pybus will join the team after their white-ball series against Sri Lanka, which is scheduled in Dubai and Sharjah from March 13-25.