Afghanistan’s T20 captain Rashid Khan says the team never claimed to be Asia’s number two, adding that media narratives change with performance.
SHARJAH: Afghanistan cricket captain Rashid Khan has addressed ongoing criticism and media chatter following his team’s early exit from the recent Asia Cup, saying that labels like “Asia’s number two team” were created by outsiders, not the players themselves.
In a candid statement during his press conference, Rashid clarified, “We never called ourselves Asia’s number two team. That’s something the media created after our strong performances in the past—like beating England in the Champions Trophy or making it to the semi-final of the 2020 T20 World Cup.”
The star spinner, who has been ranked No. 1 in ICC T20 bowling rankings, expressed frustration over the trend of making fun of teams when they underperform. “Today you call us No. 2, tomorrow we don’t perform, and suddenly we are No. 5 or 6. That’s how it goes. But we never gave ourselves that title,” he said.
He emphasised that performance—not rankings or media hype—defines the team’s journey. “If I take one wicket for my team when they need me, that’s like 20 wickets for me,” Rashid stated, reflecting on the team-first mentality.
Afghanistan’s recent tournament loss stirred criticism online, but Rashid urged fans and media to keep perspective. “We’ve beaten big teams like Australia and New Zealand. That’s how we earned respect—not by claiming it, but by proving it on the field.”
Rashid concluded by saying the team will focus on learning from the Asia Cup and shift attention to the upcoming World Cup. “We move on, we learn, and we come back stronger,” he said.
