Hashmatullah Shahidi stepped down as Afghanistan’s ODI captain, on Wednesday. The experienced batter will continue playing for the ODI side. He was named as ODI skipper in 2022 and led them at the 2023 ODI World Cup and 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. He is also his country’s Test captain.
Shahidi was one of the 11 players who played in Afghanistan’s first-ever Test match against India in 2018. He also became the first Afghan player to ge a Test double hundred, when he slammed 200* not out against Zimbabwe on March 11, 2021.
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Taking to social media, he wrote, “Today I announce with full respect and consent that I am resigning as captain of my team at my personal decision.”
“It was a great honour for me to perform this responsibility as a Captain. I am proud to have served alongside my team with honesty, unity and commitment.
“By the grace of Allah, with the efforts of the officials, coaches and players, we have achieved many victories, won important matches, defeated big teams and made the name of the team higher.
“All these achievements are not just mine, but also the result of the teamwork, sacrifices and coordination of the entire team.
“I thank all the players of my team from the bottom of my heart who always supported me and stood shoulder to shoulder with me in every victory and every challenge.
“I also thank the officials and the administration of the team who believed in me and always supported me. Your trust and cooperation will always be an honour for me”, he added.
The announcement also comes a few months after Richard Pybus was appointed as Afghanistan’s head coach, following Jonathan Trott’s decision to step down.
Shahidi and Trott formed a great partnership during one of the most successful phases in their country’s ODI history, highlighted by wins against England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands at the 2023 World Cup, where they narrowly missed out on a spot in the semifinals.