‘There was no massive difference’ – Rashid on Gulbadin’s cramp

‘There was no massive difference’ – Rashid on Gulbadin’s cramp post thumbnail image

Afghanistan skipper Rashid Khan has said that allrounder Gulbadin Naib’s apparent cramp, that came under scrutiny during his side’s win over Bangladesh, didn’t make a difference to the end result.

Gulbadin went down holding his leg while standing in the slip just before a delivery was about to be bowled after head coach Jonathan Trott signalled his players to ‘slow it down’. At that point in time, Bangladesh were just behind the DLS score with rain lashing down, raising the possibility of Bangladesh taking the upper hand had that delivery been bowled before the players rushed into the pavilion.

However, rain did relent, allowing play to resume as Afghanistan managed to close out the tight game under normal circumstances by bowling out Bangladesh for a historic win that sent them to the semifinal. Gulbadin’s tactic however came under a lot of scrutiny on social media.

“Well, he had some cramp, I don’t know what happened to him and I don’t know what’s going on in social media but that doesn’t matter,” Rashid said after the game. “It’s just an on-field injury which happens, the rain came and we just went off, it’s not something [that] brought a massive difference in the game. We came back on field after five minutes and there was no massive difference. For me, it’s just like a small injury happens, then you have to take some time.”

For Rashid and his team, the focus was on the end result, for obvious reasons as they made it to the final 4 of a World Cup for the first time in their history. “I don’t know how to describe my feeling,” Rashid conceded. “It’s a big achievement for us being in the semifinals and yeah, I think the cricket we have played in the whole tournament so far – I think we deserve to be in the semis. The way everyone took the responsibility of getting into the game and performing [at their] best for the team. So, I don’t know how I can describe my feeling but it’s a massive achievement for us as a team and as a nation to be in the semis and now looking forward to the semis.”

Afghanistan had their fate in their own hands following Australia’s loss to India earlier in the day. However, their batters could only muster 115 on what was a tricky surface. “I think we were there like 15-20 runs short,” Rashid admitted. “We could have done better than that to score 130-135 but the bowling unit we have we felt like it’s enough for us.

“We have to bowl in the right areas consistently and making sure we have the right belief and right mindset that we can defend. In the past few games here, the team defended 106 runs. So, I think the belief was there – as long we just keep ourselves calm and make sure we do the right things at the right time.”

Afghanistan will have little time to bask in the glory as they now travel to Trinidad to face South Africa in the first semifinal. Rashid admitted that this side were inspired a lot from West Indian legend Brian Lara who had predicted Afghanistan to go this far. “I think the semi-final is going to be a massive, massive inspiration for the youngsters back home in Afghanistan,” he said. “That the Afghanistan team got into the semis for the first time, we have done it at under-19 level, but at this level we haven’t done that. Even Super Eight was first time for us and then in semis.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling, and I think we have proved one person very right – Brian Lara, the only person who mentioned Afghanistan to finish top four. I think we told him that as well when we met him in the welcome party – we will make sure we prove that [prediction] right. I think when you get that kind of great, great statement from a legend, as a team, I think it gives you lots of energy as well,” Rashid said.

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