‘Transition From White-ball To Red-ball Cricket Is Challenge’, Says Afghanistan Skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi Ahead Of New Zealand Clash

New Delhi: Afghanistan’s Test and ODI skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi feels that changing the format may possibly be a hard challenge as Reasonably some the Afghanistan players ought to quickly transition from T20 to Test cricket after being selected within the team. The skipper said they're ready to agree with having separate squads for Test and white-ball formats as that can allow them to prepare better for the longer-format game. Afghanistan are currently in Noida preparing for the one-off Test match against New Zealand, scheduled from September 9-thirteen.

Afghanistan will likely be coming into the series against New Zealand on the back of three successive Test losses – against Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Ireland. Afghanistan players have made a reputation for themselves in shorter-format cricket and have been in great demand in different franchise leagues across the sector.

“Transitioning from white-ball to red-ball cricket is indeed a challenge, specifically as the formats demand different skill sets. Test cricket is more about endurance, temperament, and building pressure over long periods, which would perhaps perhaps be kind of different from the fast-paced nature of white-ball cricket,” Hashmatullah said.

“Our coaching staff has been working hard on helping the players adjust their mindset and techniques to suit the demands of Test cricket. We’ve also been specializing in longer practice sessions to help players settle into the rhythm of the longer format. Our preparation has been thorough, specializing in both individual skills and team strategies. We’ve spent considerable time engaged on the explicit demands of Test cricket, from conditioning to mental toughness,” said Shahidi, sooner than adding that separate squads for an excessive amount of formats may possibly help the team.

“Having a separate squad for Test and white-ball formats may indeed facilitate your specialise and prepare for specific assignments. It allows players to center of attention entirely on the format they're selected for, helping them to fine-tune their game accordingly. It truly is something we would agree with within the future as we continue to conform as a Test-playing nation,” he said.

Shahidi said that playing in Noida gives them self belief as they're more accustomed to the conditions than New Zealand, despite the truth that he's attentive to the everyday within the opposition squad.

“Playing in Noida does give us some familiarity with the conditions, which would perhaps perhaps be advantageous. We have in mind the pitch behaviour and weather patterns, which would perhaps help our bowlers and batsmen to adapt more quickly. Then again, New Zealand is a top-class side which is ready to have the ability to conditions anywhere, so while it's ready to give us a slight edge, we still should perform at our greatest,” said the left-handed batter.