With less than two months to go for the 2019 ICC World Cup, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced a big decision to sack Asghar Afghan as the captain of the national team, while announcing three different names for respective formats. Gulbadin Naib has been announced as the ODI captain and will now lead the team at the World Cup. Rahmat Shah has been picked to captain the team in the Tests while Rashid Khan has been picked for the T20Is.
The move comes at a rather surprising moment, considering the timeline. While most teams are settled with their squads and roles for the World Cup, ACB’s decision to overhaul the leadership roles in the team might have adverse effects on the team.
Asghar had replaced Mohammad Nabi as captain of the team in 2015, and had helped the team get Full member’s status by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Under his guidance, the team also secured a historic maiden Test triumph over Ireland this year in March in Dehradun.
Of the three captains that have been named for different formats, only Rashid has led the team on previous occasion while the other two will be completely new with the responsibilities. Afghanistan have also announced the names of Rashid, Shafiqullah Shafiq and Hashmatullah Shahidi as vice-captains for ODIs, T20Is and Test cricket respectively.
