Rashid: Playing international cricket in Afghanistan 'more than a dream'

Rashid Khan dreams of playing international cricket at home. "That's bigger than the World Cup, to be honest," he said on Monday. "For me, and for the team, and every individual."

Afghanistan has been a highly attractive team ever since they first broke through. They gained ODI status in 2009 and Test status in 2017. The moments they've created - Shapoor Zadran galloping around the outfield in 2015, Mohammad Shahzad doing the Champion dance with Chris Gayle in 2016 - live long in memory. The team itself has grown to the extent that they made the semi-finals of the two most recent World Cups in 2023 and 2024.

But through all this they've never been able to play in front of their own fans. Afghanistan has been hit by war and violence which has prevented international teams from visiting their shores. Rashid hopes for a resolution to this.

"For us, we play an international game in Afghanistan, and all the media, all these people will see how people back home in Afghanistan, how they're welcoming international players, and how they're enjoying cricket. That's something which is more than a dream, to be playing international cricket in your own country."

The UAE has tended to be Afghanistan's home away from home. They hosted West Indies there last month. Their players have become household names when they travel to T20 leagues around the world. Rashid is an IPL, PSL and SA20 champion. He appreciates all the support he has received.

"When we play IPL here, when we play an international game, we see how much their [India's] international stars are supported by the local fans and how much they give them love - like we get so much love, I am not saying we don't get love here, but whenever we play here, we get lots of love and lots of support, especially playing in IPL and also World Cup we played, we have got a huge amount of support, we haven't felt like being away from Afghanistan.

"But when you play in your own country, it's a kind of different feeling and the world will see the country Afghanistan as well, how beautiful it is, but hopefully, one day we make that possible that international team comes and they play cricket there."

Women's cricket in Afghanistan is also stalled to the extent that they do not have an international team. Rashid hopes the ACB and the ICC come together and find a way forward.

There has been some progress, with the Australian, English and Indian cricket boards pledging funding for the growth of women's cricket in Afghanistan. A team of refugee players were at the Women's World Cup in 2025 and, prior to that, played in a T20 match in Melbourne against a Cricket Without Borders side.

"Oh, well, definitely, I feel like that [having a women's team] is the kind of criteria for, I think, being a Full member, I think so, the ICC, the Afghanistan Cricket board, they have the better idea, but we love to see anyone representing Afghanistan on any stage, it's a huge proud moment and you're representing your country, but definitely, yes.

"Sometimes things as a player, you don't have much in the control and we only think about the controllable things, but in this situation, we are in a kind of situation where you can't really much have say in it, but yes, the support you have there, it's always there, but bigger people comes in and they take the decision and they take it forward."