Afghanistan’s Coach Condemns fan behavior following the team’s defeat to Pakistan in a last-over thriller at the Asia Cup

Raees Ahmadzai, assistant coach of the Afghanistan National Cricket Team, has denounced the brawl between Afghan and Pakistani supporters that occurred after the Asia Cup 2022 match between the Pakistan and Afganistan sides at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on Wednesday, September 7.

Pakistan National Cricket Team defeated Afghanistan National Cricket Team by one wicket in the Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 stage Match 4. With the victory, the Men in Green eliminated both India and Afghanistan from the competition and advanced to the final alongside Sri Lanka.

According to the assistant coach, “I believe we performed admirably, particularly the young lads. They were selected for the first time on the national team and exceeded expectations. What we did versus Pak was unfortunate, especially considering our previous two victories. A terrific learning experience for our players in preparation for the World Cup. And if they play against guys like Virat Kohli and KL Rahul, they will learn and use it in World Cup matches in the future. They also got to play against guys from the Pakistani side, so they got to observe and learn from top players.”

Raees Ahmadzai, Afghanistan’s assistant coach, spoke to media about the altercation between Pakistani and Afghan players and spectators. He stated: “I believe the players are fully aware of the game’s laws and regulations, but sometimes in the heat of the moment, you can’t contain yourself and it comes out. The audience should realise that this is just a game, and sports should be regarded as such, with no critical or other involvement.

“However, saying anything is one thing, but physical aggression is something that every player should avoid. Trash talking or yelling to someone is one thing, but physical violence is not permitted under the guidelines. Another learning experience for our guys. We will advise our players to stay inside the limit and not go over it,” the coach explained.

The Afghan coach was also pleased to watch Virat Kohli break the curse and strike a century after 3 years. He voiced support for Virat’s knock, saying, “First and foremost, I am overjoyed to watch him get a hundred after such a long period. He played like a completely different Virat Kohli. I’m glad to see him play the shots he’s renowned for in the past. He played a good innings; everyone knows how difficult our bowling attack is, but the manner he batted was outstanding.”

Ahmadzai also agreed that the more cricket the team plays against the world’s best teams, the more they would learn to control their emotions in such high-pressure circumstances.
He praised the new coach, Jonathan Trott, saying, “He joined us during the Ireland series and has done an excellent job for us, talking to players and understanding their needs. He has been helpful to us.”