Rashid believes the more spin-friendly Indian wickets at
this World Cup will give him the stage to shine and he hopes he can inspire the
next generation of Afghan cricketers.
As a boy growing up in Bati Kot, an arid village in rural
Afghanistan, Rashid Khan dreamt of becoming the family's first doctor. But as
one of 11 boys -- a cricket team -- in a typically extended Afghan family, he
was soon put to work bowling against his brothers. When the weather stopped them
from playing outdoors, they played pick-up games in the corridors of the family
home. The narrow confines helped Khan develop his trademark whirling action that
has turned him into the world's top Twenty20 bowler and one to watch at the
World Cup in India this month. "My speed, my quick wrong 'uns all
developed playing at home," 25-year-old leg-spinner Rashid said in a
recent interview. "If I bowled like a normal wrist spinner it would turn
slowly -- my brothers would defend easily. I had to do something different, so
I developed variations."
Rashid first caught the eye of selectors as a hard-hitting
batsman who could also bowl -- like his idol, former Pakistan allrounder Shahid
Afridi. "Afridi is one player who has fans all over the world," said
Rashid. "Check his record, he doesn't have many centuries, but whenever he
arrived he would hit four, five, six sixes... entertain and leave." Nawroz
Mangal, Afghanistan's first international captain, spotted Rashid's talent in
domestic competition. "Pakistan great Inzamam-ul-Haq was our coach in 2015
and when he saw Rashid he was like 'What a player he is', and got him selected
on the tour of Zimbabwe," recalled Mangal. Aged just 17 Rashid took one
wicket in Bulawayo on his debut but his action, guile, and economy were quickly
noticed.
