2 days ago
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Afghanistan caput manager Richard Pybus is keen to person a speech with prima leg-spinner Rashid Khan astir his semipermanent red-ball aboriginal but admitted that the bowler's chronic backmost contented and packed planetary docket marque his contiguous Test availability uncertain.
On the eve of Afghanistan's one-off Test against India, Pybus said managing Rashid's workload would beryllium a precedence arsenic the squad looks to physique a sustainable Test programme contempt an erratic fixture list.
"Rashid has got this long-standing backmost complaint. He's got specified a immense measurement of cricket, you know, he's got to negociate himself," Pybus said.
"I look guardant to having that speech to spot however we tin enactment him, not lone conscionable with the accidental to possibly proceed to play immoderate red-ball cricket if determination is imaginable for that, but mostly marque definite helium tin play arsenic agelong and arsenic steadfast arsenic imaginable for Afghanistan," the Englishman said.
Rashid's lack has erstwhile again highlighted the challenges Afghanistan look successful balancing the demands of franchise cricket and the Test format, a taxable Pybus repeatedly returned to during his archetypal media enactment since taking complaint of the nationalist side.
The erstwhile West Indies manager of cricket, overseeing his maiden duty with Afghanistan, stressed that the larger contented was not simply subordinate availability but the deficiency of a accordant Test calendar.
"When a state gets afloat membership, it's 1 happening to get afloat membership, but past you request to get a afloat fixture list," Pybus said.
"I'd similar to spot going guardant that the different elder afloat members besides commencement to physique retired the list. We request to beryllium successful a concern present wherever there's a due fixture list."
Pybus, who has spent the past fewer weeks observing Afghanistan's home operation aft aggregate visits to Kabul, said helium had been pleasantly amazed by the prime and extent of first-class cricket successful the country.
"I've been precise impressed watching the prime of the first-class cricket. It was precise affirmative successful being capable to benchmark that comparative to seeing different first-class cricket astir the satellite and the benignant of extent determination is successful the system," helium said.
The 61-year-old besides paid tribute to his predecessor Jonathan Trott for laying beardown foundations.
"I deliberation Jonathan did an outstanding occupation implicit 4 years. It's truly astir continuing to physique connected what is already successful place." As Afghanistan hole to look a transitional Indian side, Pybus acknowledged the enormity of the challenge.
"You travel to India and you play India successful India, it's 1 of the large challenges successful satellite cricket and it ever has been," helium said.
"There is nary uncertainty that India are incredibly challenging to bushed astatine home, not lone due to the fact that of the prime of the players but evidently their knowing of their location conditions."
Assessing the Mullanpur surface, Pybus expected rotation to go progressively influential arsenic the Test progresses contempt the wicket's existent greenish appearance.
"It looks similar a bully cricket wicket. With the heat, the moisture is going to get pulled retired precise quickly," helium said.
"Both sides person got plentifulness of spinners. Spin is going to play a large portion successful the crippled adjacent though it looks beauteous greenish astatine the moment."
While Afghanistan stay focused connected the contiguous situation of taking connected India, Pybus made it wide that his larger ngo is to guarantee the country's singular cricket emergence is matched by meaningful opportunities successful the longest format.
"To play 1 Test and person a 4 oregon five-month interruption earlier you play your adjacent Test match, immoderate you're going to learn, determination needs to beryllium a attraction of learning," helium said.
"That's not an Afghanistan question, that's an ICC question, really."
