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Afghanistan's veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi wants to retire from the ODI format after the conclusion of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.
Nabi blew the gaff after Afghanistan registered a famous ODI series win over Bangladesh in Sharjah on Monday. In Afghanistan's 2-1 series win, Nabi was crowned Player of the Series for his splendid all-round display in the three-match series. The 39-year-old, who has witnessed the fall and rise of Afghanistan cricket, is now looking forward to his last dance in the 50-over format. "In my mind, from the last World Cup, I was retired, but then we qualified for the Champions Trophy, and I felt if I could play that, it would be great...We will see, but no, I will not play for long. God willing, after the Champions Trophy, we will say goodbye to the ODIs," Nabi told the host broadcaster after the third ODI, as quoted from ESPNcricinfo. It is understood he has communicated the decision to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and will continue playing T20Is. Ever since his international debut in 2009, Nabi has been a part of the Afghanistan side, which has beaten over 30 countries, out of which many are still striving towards the full-member, Test-playing status which Afghanistan got in 2017. From wins over unknown teams like Denmark, Italy, Argentina, and Tanzania to much stronger associate nations like Scotland, UAE, Namibia, Netherlands etc, Afghanistan have come a long way, beating Test-playing teams like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, England, Australia, New Zealand, West Indies. Most of these Test-playing nations are either current world champions or have held a world championship in 50-over/Test/T20I format previously. Even at the age of 39, Nabi's contribution to the Afghanistan team remains unparalleled. In their recent ODI series triumph, he ended the series as top run-getter with a tally of 135. He even chipped in with the ball, bagging two wickets across three ODIs. Overall, Nabi has 3,600 ODI runs under his belt in 167 matches, averaging 27.48 while striking at 86.99, making him the second-highest run-getter for Afghanistan in the format. His contribution as a player for Afghanistan becomes even more valuable when one looks at his statistics with the ball. With his off-spin, Nabi has scythed 172 wickets, the second-highest for Afghanistan, while averaging 32.47. The upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025 will mark the maiden appearance for Afghanistan in the event. (ANI)
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