Afghan player ‘takes break’ from cricket, hits out at ‘corrupt’ government

Afghanistan opener Usman Ghani is not happy with the situation on the country’s cricket board. Having been forced to look for a place in the upcoming bilateral series against Bangladesh, Ghani has decided to “take a break” from the game. Hitting out at the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), Ghani called the bosses “corrupt” and said he would like to return to the team when the management changes, as the current chief selector had no explanation for his absence from the team.

Ghani posted a series of tweets highlighting the current situation of the ACB. He even revealed that he tried to meet the chairman of the board on several occasions, but his efforts did not bear fruit.

“After careful consideration, I have decided to take a break from Afghanistan cricket. The corrupt management of the cricket board has forced me to step down. I will continue my hard work and look forward to the establishment of a proper management and selection committee,” Ghani said in a series of messages posted on Twitter.

After careful consideration, I have decided to take a break from Afghanistan Cricket. The corrupt management of the cricket board has forced me to back down. I will continue my hard work and look forward to establishing a proper management and selection committee. 1/3 pic.twitter.com/lGWQUDdIwJ

Usman Ghani (@IMUsmanGhani87) July 3, 2023

Also, the chief selector had no satisfactory answer to my exclusion from all forms. 3/3

Usman Ghani (@IMUsmanGhani87) July 3, 2023

“When that happens, I will proudly return to play in Afghanistan. Until then, I will support myself to represent my beloved nation. Despite several visits, I could not meet the chairman as he was unavailable,” he added.

“Furthermore, the chief selector had no satisfactory answer to my exclusion from all formats,” he said.

Ghani has represented Afghanistan in 17 ODIs and 35 T20Is so far. He last played for the national team in the T20I series against Pakistan, featuring in the match played in Sharjah on March 27. His last ODI outing for the team came in January 2022 against the Netherlands.