Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, who retired from Test cricket after the side beat Bangladesh at Chittagong on Monday (September 9), said he was happy to have been a part of the generation of Afghani cricketers that played Test cricket.
“I had the dream to play Test cricket for Afghanistan. We have worked really hard for that in a short time. Not last 13 to 14 years, we have achieved that target seven to eight years. We struggled a lot, we had to prepare mentally and combine a team combination,” Nabi told reporters at the post-match press conference.
“We have played the Inter-Continental Cup three times and we won twice and were the runners-up once. It’s a very good result and because of that the ICC gave us Test status. And I am very happy to be part of that generation of Afghanistan.
“My plan is that the youngsters should be prepared for the next Tests as they are the future for us. That’s why I have decided to leave Test matches and focus on One-Day internationals and T20s.”
Nabi also spoke about how happy he was that the younger members of the team contributed to the win, adding that their intense training camp in Abu Dhabi paid dividends in the end.
“It’s a historic win because in this format, we are new. We have played only three games against India, Ireland and Bangladesh and we won two games. It means we are good in this format and it means that our domestic structure is strong.
“The youngsters, the way they are playing, the way they are adjusting to the conditions, it’s really a brilliant team. Maybe it’s a bright future as well for the youngsters to play in this format.
