Afghanistan’s star spinner, Rashid Khan, is considering stepping back from Test cricket after receiving a warning from a medical professional about the potential damage to his back. As one of the most prominent figures in world cricket, Rashid has had to carefully evaluate his future in the longest format of the game.
Rashid underwent significant lower back surgery in the United Kingdom last year. This decision came after he continued playing through pain during the ODI World Cup in India. Since then, he has returned to the T20 format for 2024, but his body has struggled to handle the demands of the longer form of the game.
Doctor’s warning poses threat to Test career
Rashid shared what his doctor told him about red ball cricket:
“Red-ball cricket is a little difficult because that was the first thing my doctor told me, ‘stay away from red-ball cricket’.”
Despite this, Rashid still decided to play a Test match after his surgery. He played against Zimbabwe and bowled an astonishing 67 overs across two innings. His doctor was taken aback by his decision:
“I still went ahead and played. After the surgery, I played a game against Zimbabwe and bowled 67 overs, which was crazy. The doctor told me, ‘if you don’t want to play cricket, you can keep playing red-ball cricket’. He said it’s not going to help me and that I won’t be able to play for long.”
He added:
“I still went ahead and played, but when he found out I had bowled 67 overs across two innings, he was shocked. He said, ‘you can’t do that to yourself.’”
Rashid admitted that he bowled 126 overs across his final two Test matches, which was too much for his body to handle.
Focus Shift to ODIs and the 2027 World Cup
Although Rashid has not officially retired from red ball cricket, he has made it clear that it will be challenging for him to play multiple Test matches in a single year.
The Afghan spinner said:
“Red-ball cricket is something that looks a bit difficult for me. If it’s one Test a year, I will take that, but I don’t think I can manage more than that. I will try, but if I bowl a spell of 20–25 overs, I have to bowl the whole day if I’m in the team.”
The Afghanistan team will face India in a Test match in June, and Rashid is expected to be absent. Instead, he will focus on ODIs. Rashid has openly stated his main goal moving forward:
“The spin sensation stated:
“ODI cricket, I really enjoy that format. I am in good shape to play ODIs for a longer period for Afghanistan. However, I want to be careful about how much I play and not put too much load on myself if I want to have a longer career.”
With the next Cricket World Cup scheduled for 2027, Rashid is prioritising his fitness. Ensuring that Afghanistan retains the services of their premier bowler for a World Cup now seems more important than playing a Test match.
