Mohammad Nabi steps down as captain after Afghanistan’s narrow defeat

Mohammad Nabi has stepped down from captaincy duties after Afghanistan’s heartbreaking loss against Australia in their last T20 World Cup 2022 fixture on Friday (November 4) at the Adelaide Oval. The veteran all-rounder struggled with both bat and ball in the mega tournament as Afghanistan finished their campaign without a single win.

Nabi, 37, bowled only one over against Australia where he conceded 14 runs without a wicket and then managed to score only one run. He scored only 17 runs and took one wicket in three innings in the tournament despite showing some promising displays in the warm-up games.

After the game, Nabi posted a Tweet where he apologised to fans for Afghanistan’s poor performance in the World Cup. He also mentioned that he will continue playing for the nation whenever the team needs him. Nabi also pointed out that the selection committee, team management and he were not on the same page during Afghanistan’s recent tours, which directly affected the team balance.  

“Our T20 World Cup journey came to an end, with a result that not us nor our supporters were expecting. We are as frustrated as you are with the outcome of matches. From the last one year, our team preparation was not to a level that a captain would want it or needed for a big tournament. Moreover, in some of the last tours the team management, selection committee and I were not on the same page which had implications on the team balance.

“Therefore, with due respect, effective immediately I announce to STEP DOWN as a CAPTAIN & will continue to play for my country when the management & team need me. I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart who came to the grounds despite matches being affected by the rain and those who supported us worldwide, your love truly means a lot to us. Long live Afghanistan,” Nabi wrote in his Tweet.