Rashid Khan is breaking new ground for Afghanistan
- The leg-spinner is still only 20
- He is already Afghanistan’s leading ODI wicket-taker
Rashid Khan does not turn 21 until September, but the leg-spinner is already Afghanistan’s leading ODI wicket-taker, the number one ranked T20 bowler in the world and an in-demand star in both the IPL and Big Bash every year.
The only thing that hints at his youthfulness is the wide-eyed exuberance he carries. Not even Virat Kohli, the world’s top-ranked batsman in both Test and ODI cricket, can knock him off his stride.
Kohli paid the greatest of compliments to Khan when he said it had taken him three years just to pick the right-armer’s deliveries. Dealing with them is a different matter entirely.
Khan has that rare skill of being able to bowl fast and still spin the ball. He’s economical – averaging 15 for his 123 ODI wickets – and rattles through his overs at a sharp pace, leaving batsmen in a tail-spin.
And that is before he even brings out the googly, the ball which has disarmed even the most dangerous of hitters.
Kohli knows that only all too well, with the pair coming up against each other in both the IPL and international arenas.
But if he thought his remarks would shake Khan into a panic and fear his secrets had finally being unravelled, he was left disappointed.
For Khan is 20. And 20-year-old cricketers are not intimidated.
“It gives you so much confidence and energy when someone like him is speaking about you like that,” he said.
“I have played him more than ten times and we have spoken a bit. It is a big statement and that will help me a lot.
“I have something in my mind when I face every batsman so that helps me. I have plans for certain batsmen.
“He is one of the best players I have ever seen. How he plays spinners is superb and it will be a test against him. But I am looking forward to the battle.”
That battle will have to wait until June 22 when they meet at the Hampshire Bowl. By then, Afghanistan will have played five other matches – starting on Saturday against defending champions Australia.
How Khan handles the intense heat of an ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup clash will be fascinating – especially in England, where the importance of swing traditionally outweighs spin.
But Khan already knows what it is required. He played here for Sussex Sharks in the 2018 T20 Blast, taking 17 wickets in 11 matches at 14.35.
“A good ball is a good ball and that is all that matters. It is up to the batsman to understand what you are doing but it’s up to me to make sure what he is facing is good,” he added.
“Good deliveries are good for everyone. I am responsible to put a batsman in trouble.
“It will be hard for the spinners. But if you approach with that mentality then you will struggle.
“You have to think anyone can turn it and anyone can get wickets. I am just thinking about taking wickets and using the experience I have from around the world.
“The wickets should be flat but for me the important thing will be adjusting to that and bowling the right lines and lengths.”