Afghanis starring in BBL T20 cricket
Emerging cricketing nation Afghanistan is making their presence felt in the BBl, with their two representatives winning man-of-the-match honours on successive nights,.
Mohammed Nabi's 52 off 30 balls and a tidy 1-27 spell of off spin from the 33-year-old allrounder, helped Melbourne Renegades to a six-wicket win over crosstown rivals the Stars at the MCG on Saturday night.
Just 24 hours later it was the turn of 19-year-old leg-spinner Rashid Khan, whose dashing 16 off 6 balls and 2-21 helped propel Adelaide Strikers to a a 25-run win over Sydney Thunder at Spotless Stadium.
Khan has picked up two wickets in each of his first five BBL games and has quickly become one of the most exciting and successful of the crop of new imports.
To call him a smiling assassin sounds like a worn old cliche, but it's the perfect description of a young man who loves to have fun out on the field, while showing a strong competitive streak.
His confident and animated nature on the field makes for compelling viewing and he's not afraid to swap words with far more experienced opponents, including Thunder captain Shane Watson.
Khan's rise is no surprise to Watson, who he who has also seen while they were both playing in the Indian and Caribbean Premier Leagues, in each of which the Afghani finished among the top half dozen wicket takers.
"He's world-class leg-spinner and a very exciting talent," Watson said.
Khan's heroics have helped lift Adelaide to the top of the ladder, though they only lead on net run rate from the Renegades, Heat and Scorchers.
He said a lot of people back home were monitoring his progress and he was getting plenty of messages of support..
Khan is keen to show his wares in the longest and oldest form of the game, when Afghanistan gets to play their first Test against India, expected to be played later this year.
