‘Shpageeza Cricket League gives opportunity to Afghans to watch their heroes’: Hashmatullah Shahidi

Afghanistan’s ODI and Test captain Hashmatullah Shahidi praised the Shpageeza Cricket League, calling it a gamechanger for cricket in the country. The league is Afghanistan’s annual T20 League, and all the match this year are being played in Kabul.

Afghanistan’s top players including Shahidi, Rashid Khan, Naveen-Ul-Haq, Mohammad Nabi, Fazalhaq Farooqui, Azmatullah Omarzai are playing in the league this year.

“If you see, Shpagaeeza is our top most league and this year we have all the national heroes playing. They have taken time out from their schedules to play here and its an opportunity for the people of Afghanistan to come and see their heroes in person and on TV,” Shahidi told FanCode, the official broadcaster of the league in India.

“All the games have been exciting. We’ve had a Super Over that went down till the last ball. There is a great opportunity for youngsters to learn from seniors and share the dressing room with them. It’s also a huge opportunity to learn to handle pressure in big games against top players,” added Shahidi.

Afghanistan have been a nation on the rise in men’s cricket and recently reached the semifinals of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. Afghan stars are often the most sought after in T20 Leagues, and Rashid Khan has been amongst the top spinners in white-ball cricket.