ILT20 2023: Mohammad Nabi reveals who nicknamed him ‘The President’

Former Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi has revealed that it was Kevin Pietersen who gave him the nickname ‘The President’. While speaking to the host broadcaster of ILT20, the 38-year-old stated that the former English cricketer saw something special in him and that’s the reason why Pietersen started calling him 'The President'.

While narrating the incident, Nabi mentioned that in 2016 when he was playing in a T20 league, Pietersen got very impressed by his performance after he successfully chased down 16 runs in the final over. Soon after that, in another league where Pietersen was commentating, the 42-year-old started referring to Nabi as 'The President' and that’s how the term got associated with him.

“I got this name from Kevin Pietersen in 2016, when I was playing league games for the first time, and he was also playing with us. It was our last match, and it was critical for us to win because I was going on National Duty after that. In the last over, 16 runs were required, which I successfully chased.”

“While travelling back, Kevin Pieterson held the mic and said that I really played well in the tournament with them, played good matches and I am the future of Afghanistan because I have put up Afghanistan cricket from Zero to where it is. In the end, you will be the next president of Afghanistan.

After that, we went to play in another league, and he was there as a commentator, and during the match, he kept referring to me as the President, and that’s how I got the name,” Nabi said.

Will Australia boycott Afghanistan in ODI World Cup? - Nabi

Cricket Australia recently withdrew from playing in an ODI series against Afghanistan due to the restrictions put by the Talibani government on women's education. Many current Afghanistan players lashed out at Cricket Australia and some have even mentioned that they won't feature in the Big Bash League (BBL).

Former skipper Nabi went a step further and dared the Kangaroos to boycott them in the upcoming ODI World Cup. Nabi believes the reason which Cricket Australia stated to pull out of the three-match ODI series is not correct and also reminded them not to mix sports with politics.

“It is not right to mix politics with sports. The same regime was there during the World Cup and why did they play us? Because they wanted two points. They wanted a good NRR to progress in the World Cup. What will they do in the World Cup in India? We will see if they will boycott us there? The reason they have given is not right,” Nabi told Cricbuzz.

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