‘Corrupt Leadership Has Compelled Me to Step Back’, Afghan Player Takes Break From Cricket

Usman Ghani, a renowned cricketer for Afghanistan, has taken a break from the sport and cited corruption inside the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) as the cause. Recently, the Afghanistan team’s opening batsman needed help to secure a spot for the next series against Bangladesh.

The left-handed batsman, who made his international debut for Afghanistan in 2014, participated in the T20I series between Afghanistan and Pakistan in March of this year. His final ODI match for his country was against the Netherlands in Doha in January 2022, while the game in Sharjah marked his final T20I match.

Usman Ghani said on Twitter that he would take a break from the match while criticizing the ACB officials. The 26-year-old attacked the ACB leadership, branding the authorities “corrupt.” He added that the present chief selector had yet to give him a reason for his exclusion from the squad and would only join the team again when the management changed.

“After careful consideration, I have taken a break from Afghanistan Cricket. The corrupt leadership in the cricket board has compelled me to step back. I will continue my hard work and eagerly await the right management and selection committee to be put in place,” he tweeted.

“Once that happens, I will proudly return to play for Afghanistan. Until then, I am backing myself from representing my beloved nation. Despite multiple visits, I could not meet the chairman as he remained unavailable,” he said. “Moreover, the chief selector had no satisfactory response for my exclusion from all formats.”

Ghani has played in 17 ODIs and 35 T20 Internationals for Afghanistan. He last participated for his country in the T20I series against Pakistan, appearing in the game on March 27 in Sharjah. His final appearance for the team in an ODI was against the Netherlands in January 2022.