Dubai, Dec 10 (IANS) Mohammad Nabi, the veteran Afghanistan all-rounder currently playing for Dubai Capitals in the ILT20, said the players’ participation from his country in the competition is a key boost, citing that it’s a platform to correct their errors made in the Asia Cup and serves as motivation to perform well ahead of next year’s T20 World Cup.
Nabi has featured in 145 T20I matches for Afghanistan, amassing 2417 runs and picking 104 wickets. He has been a part of Afghanistan’s squad since the country first appeared in the T20 World Cup in 2010, and had their best-ever performance by reaching the semi-finals in the 2024 edition of the competition.
“Most Afghanistan players are playing in ILT20 and performing well. It gives us a lot of motivation to play in a high-level league before the T20 World Cup. We also have a series against the West Indies before the tournament happens. Those three T20I games will help us build a strong combination,” Nabi told IANS in an exclusive conversation from Dubai.
“If we make mistakes during that series, we must fix them before the World Cup. Playing in ILT20 gives us more energy and helps us to work on the errors we made in the Asia Cup,” he said.
Though Nabi is 40, an age where many cricketers have thoughts of retiring from all forms of cricket, the veteran is showing no signs of slowing down. “In the last 3–4 years, I’ve enjoyed cricket more than when I was younger because of my hard work, training, and commitment at a high level.”
“I can’t escape anything — I had to focus on my training, sleep, food, and diet. It gave me more motivation. When I am fit, I step onto the ground and give my 100%. When your body is working well and energetic, it improves your performance. I always focus on my next target. Like, what is my next event? Then I prepare my body for that.”
“With the T20 World Cup coming, I have to focus on my body, fitness, and performance. I train myself both as a batter and a bowler. That’s why all my targets are set on the World Cup, and how I prepare my body for it,” he elaborated.
Nabi has carved a decent reputation as an attacking batting all-rounder who also bowls handy off-spin, and alongside leg-spinner Rashid Khan, he laid the foundation of Afghanistan players being picked in big numbers in various T20 leagues.
With many Afghan players securing T20 league deals, Nabi felt a homegrown league would put more talented cricketers on the world map. “Exposure is very important for our youngsters. Yesterday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board announced that the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) will be launched on December 20 and is set to be played next year.”
“That’s great news for our youngsters, as talented players who have performed in domestic cricket but haven’t been seen internationally will now get a platform. This platform will be excellent for youngsters who are performing back home. It’s great news for them because they will get more motivation to play high-level cricket in top leagues. When we perform at that stage, they are inspired to follow,” he said.
For now, Nabi’s attention will be on performing well for defending champions Dubai Capitals, who got their first win of the ongoing edition on December 7. “The first win is always important to build and find a good combination for the team.”
“We lost the first two games due to small mistakes and narrow margins, and we learnt from that. The last game was really good, and we won by a big margin. Hopefully this winning combination will work through the season,” he said.
With the UAE being a second home for Afghanistan players, Nabi knows the conditions by the back of his hand, and that has made him a vital source of intel for the Dubai Capitals players and coaches. “For me, it’s like being at home. I always play international cricket in the UAE, and this league is stronger than other leagues because eight to nine international players are in the playing XI.”
“Only three players — two from the UAE and one from the associates – are included this time. It’s a good thing; every team has a strong playing eleven, and it makes for tough competition. But for me, especially, it’s like being a local. All three venues – Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi – have different conditions.”
“You need three different plans for playing in these stadiums. I always share my experience with the coaches and players on how to play in Sharjah, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. It’s a great opportunity to share my knowledge with the team.”
Nabi signed off by saying that, apart from improving his game, taking the counsel of various experienced coaches has helped him immensely. “It’s simple — just play cricket and enjoy being in the leagues. I also work on the mistakes I made while playing in the national team, and I correct those when featuring in the league, which helps me a lot. There are many big coaches in these leagues, and I share my mistakes with them to gain more experience based on what they advise.”
“With so many international players around, we share the errors we made in the national team and learn from them. Then we bring that experience back to the national side. Playing in different conditions and environments gives me more exposure and helps me improve,” he added.
–IANS
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