Afghanistan's 20-year-old vice-captain has earned a deadly reputation for himself, with Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting alike calling him the most dangerous leg spinner in the world.
As the world’s number one T20 bowler as well as the world number two ODI all-rounder, Rashid is one player to look out for in the upcoming World Cup. THE WEEK’s Deputy Chief of Delhi Bureau, Neeru Bhatia, caught up with him before the start of this year’s most anticipated sporting tournament.
On Ricky Ponting and Shane Warning naming him as a player to look out for, the Afghan all-rounder was characteristically humble: "It gives you a lot of energy and motivation when others think of you like that… I do not feel that it is tough to play against me. I tell myself that anyone can pick me so that there is no overconfidence."
Rashid is known for his wrist-spinning deliveries, which made him Sunriser's Hyderabad star player in previous IPL seasons. It was this spin that saw him execute a stellar double-wicket maiden when playing against Deccan Chargers in March. Speaking from experience, Rashid says that leg spinners are difficult to hit under any circumstances, adding that, "In the World Cup, the wickets will be dry and helpful for us."
Afghanistan's journey to the world's top ten teams has been hailed as a fairytale, considering the country's war-torn status. With some of the sport's best players calling Afghanistan a force to be reckoned with, Rashid faces significant expectations as its new vice-captain. But, Rashid feels their focus should not just be on beating the big teams.
"As a team we need to give 100 per cent and show the world that this time we are here to perform. We need to focus on winning games rather than just playing big teams."
Afghanistan recently replaced Asghar Afghan with Gulbadin Naib as its captain, a move Rashid had criticized. Speaking on this, he said, "Whatever happened, we have overcome. I had spoken out that it was not the right time to change the captain. But as a player, I do not think about who is leading or who is not there in team."
For the full interview, check out the latest issue of THE WEEK, on stands now!