T20 Series Against Bangladesh Will Help us Prepare for India Test: Asghar Stanikzai

Afghanistan skipper Asghar Stanikzai believes the impending Twenty20 International series against Bangladesh will provide the perfect platform for them – to prepare for historic Test against India.

The three-game T20 series will kick off on Sunday (June 3). The Afghanistan team will play their first-ever Test match in Bengaluru on June 14 against India.

The debut in the purest form of cricket would be yet another milestone in their glorious run in the contemporary cricket.

On the other hand, they should also ensure they play well against Bangladesh in the T20 series. The Tigers are one of the most dangerous teams at home as they can beat any top side in the world at their home.

“We would like to give our best in the T20s against Bangladesh. Hopefully we can win and gain confidence ahead of the first Test match against India. It is going to be huge for Afghanistan,” Hindustan Times quotes Asghar as saying.

Meanwhile, it is quite a hectic work for the coaching staff as they need to prepare both for a Test and T20 squads at the same time.

Only  Stanikzai, Mohammad Shahzad, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb Ur Rehman and Mohammad Nabi are set to feature in both the formats.

“It has been difficult with the T20 and Test squads training at the same time. But it is getting a bit easier as we are coming up to the game. You usually have Test matches first and then limited over series or vice versa. We just have to work around that,” said Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons on Saturday.

Afghan Stars Shine In IPL 2018:

In the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL), Afghanistan stars Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Rahman have caught an eye of the fans with their stellar performances. This could be one of the major confidence factors for Afghanistan team going into their first-ever Test.

“Rashid Khan did exceptionally well in IPL. His form and experience will lift other team mates against Bangladesh. Rashid is in great form. We have lot of cricket ahead like the Bengaluru Test, Asia cup, World Cup in 2019, hopefully he can mentor others in the team. His experience in the IPL will lift the team. Nabi is also an experienced campaigner,” added Asghar.

 

“Mujeeb was a discovery this IPL season. He is young and must have learnt so much from Kings XI Punjab coach and captain. The conditions in Dehradun will be more or less similar to the IPL match conditions,” concluded Asghar.

The two teams are set to face off against each other in the One-off Test game at Bengaluru from June 14 to June 18.

Also, this will officially make the visitors led by Asghar Stanikzai – to become the 12th team ever to play a Test game in international cricket after Ireland.