Naveen Ul Haq, the 24-year-old Afghanistan’s fast bowler, took to Instagram to share some big news. In his post, he made it known that he will be stepping away from the 50-over cricket format after the upcoming ODI World Cup, which is set to kick off on October 5th in India.
Despite stepping away from the longer format of the game, the 24-year-old cricketer, who also represents the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL), will remain a crucial part of his national team, contributing significantly in T20 International matches.
Up until now, Naveen Ul Haq has featured in 7 One Day International (ODI) matches, where he has impressively secured 14 wickets with an average of 25.4. His most recent 50-over appearance for Afghanistan dates back to January 2021 when they competed against Ireland in Abu Dhabi. He initially entered this format of the game back in 2016 when Afghanistan took on Bangladesh.
Naveen, on Instagram, expressed gratitude for representing his country and announced his retirement from ODIs after the upcoming World Cup. He thanked the Afghanistan Cricket Board and his fans for their support.
“It has been an absolute honour to represent my country would like to announce my retirement from ODI format at end of this World Cup and will continue to wear this blue jersey in t20 cricket for my country it hasn’t been an easy decision to make but to prolong my playing career had to take this tough decision would like to thank @afghanistancricketboard And all my fans for their support and unwavering love,” Naveen wrote this on his Instagram.
Based on what we’ve witnessed during the IPL, it seems like Naveen will play a significant role for Afghanistan in the upcoming World Cup. He managed to take 11 wickets in just eight games for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG).
While Afghanistan might not be considered one of the top favorites to reach the knockouts of the ICC World Cup, their squad is brimming with promising talents. Keep an eye on Rashid Khan, who proved himself with both bat and ball. Additionally, Afghanistan boasts spin options like Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb ur Rahman.
Afghanistan will kick off their World Cup journey with a warm-up match against Sri Lanka on October 3, followed by their first official match against Bangladesh in Dharamshala on October 7.
