Rashid Khan has taken a U-Turn on his captaincy for the upcoming T20 World Cup 2021 in the UAE. He has officially stepped down as the captain of the sie after the selectors did not consult with him while naming the T20I squad. Afghanistan who have directly qualified for the tournament named their squad earlier today against which Rashid has expressed his disappointment.

In a tweet that he sent out on 10.41 pm on Thursday, Rashid Khan has officially given a statement on him stepping down as the captain with immediate effect.

🙏🇦🇫 pic.twitter.com/zd9qz8Jiu0

— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) September 9, 2021

“As the captain and responsible person for the nation, I reserve the right to be part of the selection of the team. The selection committee and ACB has not obtained my consent for the team which has been announced by ACB media,” he wrote in a post on Twitter.

“I am taking the decision of stepping down from the roles as the captain of Afghanistan T20 side,” he added.

Afghanistan National Cricket Team Squad for the World T20 Cup 2021. pic.twitter.com/exlMQ10EQx

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) September 9, 2021

The selectors named Rashid as the captain of the side while naming the squad, but despite that, the leg spinner decided to step down as the captain of the side ahead of the tournament.

ICC expresses disconcern with women’s cricket in Afghanistan

Afghanistan who is currently under Taliban rule is finding it difficult to keep the sport alive in their country. The Australian cricket team decided to back out from the proposed series with Afghanistan after the Taliban’s expressed their disagreement in promoting women’s cricket in the country.

Meanwhile, the International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed “concern surrounding women’s cricket in Afghanistan” following media reports of the Taliban not allowing women to play the sport.

Now with Rashid stepping down as the captain, it will be interesting to see whether he goes on to play the tournament or eventually skips it.

Afghanistan’s T20 World Cup 2021 Schedule:

October 25, 2021: vs Qualifier (B1), Sharjah (07:30 PM IST)

October 29, 2021: vs Pakistan, Dubai (7:30 PM IST)

October 31, 2021: vs Qualifier (A2), Abu Dhabi (3:30 PM IST)

November 3, 2021: vs India, Abu Dhabi (07:30 PM IST)

November 7: vs New Zealand, Abu Dhabi (03:30 PM IST)

Also Read: ICC T20 World Cup 2021: Defending Champions West Indies Announce Squad For The Mega Event

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