Rashid Khan to shine in Test match as well, hopes Inzamam

KABUL’s former head coach Inzamam-ul-Haq hopes leg-spinner Rashid Khan would shine with the ball in the one-off Test match against top-ranked India.

Afghanistan, who whitewashed Bangladesh 3-0 in the T20 series last week, will take on in their first-ever Test on India from June 14 in Bengaluru.

Haq, a former Pakistan captain who coached Afghanistan a few years back, believes Khan would perform as well in the Test match as he did in T20 and ODI formats.

In interview with ESPNcricinfo, he acknowledged the Afghan team had been successful because they were patient and worked hard.

Currently serving as chief selector of Pakistan, he said the historic Test would be a little bit challengeable because men in the blue were new to this format.

He noted Khan had played a lot of T20 matches and should make some changes in himself because a spinner should bowl approximately 40 overs in a Test match.

Skipper Asghar Stanikzai — in an interview with a sports news website — said Afghan spinners were better than their Indian counterparts.

“The whole world knows that we have very good spinners Rashid Khan, Mujeebur Rahman, Mohammad Nabi and Rahmat Shah and Zahir Khan,” he said.

sa/mud