Top-order batter Hashmatullah Shahidi has stepped down as Afghanistan’s ODI captain with immediate effect, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Tuesday.
Shahidi, who took over the role in January 2022, captained Afghanistan in 55 ODIs, with his final assignment ending in a 3-0 series defeat to India last month.
“After careful consideration, I have decided to step down as captain of our team. It has been a great honour to lead this team. I sincerely thank the management, coaches, my teammates, and our supporters for their trust and support throughout this journey.
“Although I am resigning as captain, I remain fully committed to serving the team as a player and wish the new captain and the team continued success,” Shahidi wrote on Instagram.
Under Shahidi, Afghanistan enjoyed their most successful phase in ODI cricket. They narrowly missed a semi-final berth at the 2023 ODI World Cup in India after memorable wins over England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands.
Their sixth-place finish at the World Cup secured qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy, where Afghanistan defeated England before a washout against Australia ended their hopes of reaching the semi-finals.
Afghanistan also won ODI series against Bangladesh (three times), Zimbabwe (twice), South Africa and Ireland during Shahidi’s tenure. Overall, the team won 27 of the 55 ODIs under his captaincy.
Shahidi scored his only ODI century in his final match as captain, making 102 off 131 balls against India in Chennai.
The ACB is expected to announce a new ODI captain before Afghanistan’s tour of Ireland in August, where the teams will play a five-match ODI series.
-IANS
