October 9, Kathmandu — Afghanistan’s head coach Richard Pybus has stated that experienced all-rounder Mohammad Nabi can still make significant contributions to the country’s short-format cricket. Despite discussions surrounding the end of the 41-year-old Nabi’s international career following his exclusion from the upcoming T20I series against Zimbabwe, Pybus maintains that opportunities remain for him.
“I believe Nabi can continue to contribute in the formats available to him,” Pybus told Cricbuzz on Wednesday. He praised Nabi as an outstanding cricketer, highly valuing his fitness and professionalism. Pybus highlighted Nabi’s remarkable impact on Afghanistan cricket and the great respect he commands within the team.
“He’s an incredible cricketer who always keeps himself in top condition. He is disciplined, and his achievements with Afghanistan speak for themselves. Not just for past performances, but also for how professionally he presents himself, he is greatly respected,” Pybus commented. Recent GPS tracking during team training sessions has shown that Nabi maintains excellent fitness levels, he added. Emphasizing the importance of hunger and determination as players age, Pybus expressed confidence in Nabi’s ability to continue contributing significantly.
“As you get older, hunger and desire are crucial. I’m excited about his upcoming career and look forward to working with him,” he said.
Pybus also views the upcoming Test match against Bangladesh as a positive opportunity to assess the team’s progress. Afghanistan is scheduled to play Bangladesh in a Test starting October 9 in Abu Dhabi. This match will serve as a vital occasion for Afghanistan to gauge their standard in the longer format.
“Playing against Bangladesh, who returned from Australia having performed well, is an excellent chance to test where we stand in Test cricket,” Pybus highlighted. He emphasized the need for Afghanistan to focus on their game while preparing for Tests. Players emerging from domestic first-class, long-format competitions have gained necessary cricket fitness and the experience of spending extended periods on the field, he noted.
Facing fast bowlers and swing bowling will require the team to develop their skills, cricket intelligence, and innings-building abilities, Pybus stressed. “Test cricket isn’t easy; it is a pressure-filled game. We have the opportunity to play three Tests in a short span. The more Tests we play, the faster we will develop,” he added.
