The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) made an exciting announcement on Monday by welcoming former India captain Ajay Jadeja into their fold as the team mentor for the upcoming Men’s ODI World Cup, slated to take place in India.
Ajay Jadeja led the Indian cricket team in 13 ODIs and made a total of 196 appearances for his country. He gained the distinction of being India’s eighth-highest run-scorer in the ODI format, scoring 5359 runs at an excellent average of 37.47. This comprised six centuries and 30 half-centuries. Additionally, he participated in three World Cup events during his career.
In the Test arena, Jadeja represented India in 15 matches from 1992 to 2000. He managed to score 576 runs at an average of 26.18, with four half-centuries to his name. His highest individual score in Test cricket was an amazing 96.
Jadeja’s cricket adventure expanded beyond the international stage. He began his first-class career with Haryana in 1988 and went on to play 111 first-class matches and 291 List-A games. Across both formats, he amassed almost 8,000 runs, which included a remarkable tally of 31 centuries and 88 half-centuries.
Following a five-year ban due to involvement in match-fixing, Ajay Jadeja’s international cricket career came to an abrupt conclusion. Despite his request for permission to return to international cricket being refused by the Delhi High Court, Jadeja made a comeback in domestic cricket, representing Delhi. Later on, he took on the position of captain and coach for the Rajasthan squad.
Switching gears to a new cricket situation, Afghanistan, under the leadership of Hashmatullah Shahidi, is preparing to kick off their 2023 Men’s ODI World Cup campaign. They will meet Bangladesh at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on October 7th.
Afghanistan World Cup Squad:
Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Reyaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah Zurmati, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi Eisakhil, Ikram Ali Khil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan Arman, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad Lakanwal, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Naveen ul Haq Murid.
