The 31-year-old Hashmatullah Shahidi has stepped down as Afghanistan’s ODI captain, ending a four-year tenure in the role after taking charge in 2022.
The announcement comes just after Richard Pybus took over as Afghanistan’s head coach following Jonathan Trott’s decision to step down.
Under the leadership of Shahidi and Trott, Afghanistan has seen one of their successful phases in thier ODI history, highlighted by victories against England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India.
However, they narrowly missed out on a place in the semifinals. Speaking on his decision, the 31-year old Shahidi said, “Today I announce with full respect and consent that I am resigning as captain of my team at my personal decision.”
“It was a great honour for me to perform this responsibility as a Captain. I am proud to have served alongside my team with honesty, unity and commitment.”
“By the grace of Allah, with the efforts of the officials, coaches and players, we have achieved many victories, won important matches, defeated big teams and made the name of the team higher.”
Hashmatullah Shahidi also paid tribute to his teammates and the team management for their support throughout his tenure.
“All these achievements are not just mine, but also the result of the teamwork, sacrifices and coordination of the entire team. I thank all the players of my team from the bottom of my heart who always supported me and stood shoulder to shoulder with me in every victory and every challenge,” he added.
“I also thank the officials and the administration of the team who believed in me and always supported me. Your trust and cooperation will always be an honour for me.”
However, he confirmed that Hashmatullah Shahidi will continue to be available for ODI selection. Afghanistan are set to name a new captain ahead of the five-match ODI series against Ireland, which begins on August 05.
