Afghanistan cricketers train in Chennai ahead of busy international schedules

Afghanistan are gradually becoming a busy cricketing nation. An associate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) not long ago, the side has fast improved through the ranks and its players’ engagements have multiplied necessitating more training sessions to keep fit. Currently, a number of players from the young Test-playing nation are practising at Chennai’s Sri Ramachandra Centre for Sports Sciences ahead of a number of tournaments.

A total of 36 players are currently sweating it out the centre which has a memorandum of understanding with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and players from Afghanistan arrive here regularly for fitness sessions and rehabilitation from injury. The top names of Afghanistan cricket like Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Mohammad Shehzad will join the camp later. These players are currently busy with the T10 League starting in the UAE on Wednesday.

Afghanistan Emerging Team to leave for Sri Lanka

The camp in Chennai is likely to last a month and the players would also take part in practice games, M Sanjay, director of the centre’s cricket operations was quoted as saying by reports. The Emerging Team would be leaving for Sri Lanka on December 4 for a tournament. With the weather in Chennai not favourable at the moment, the players would be training indoors, it was learnt.

The Afghanistan national side, which played its maiden Test in Bengaluru against India in June, will be playing one Test, seven ODIs and three T20Is in the run-up to the ICC World Cup in England next year. Afghanistan won the qualifiers held in Zimbabwe earlier this year for participating in the WC.

Former Windies all-rounder Phil Simmons is the coach of Afghanistan’s senior squad while former England first-class cricketer Andy Moles is in charge of the Emerging Team.

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