In a surprising development, Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has announced that he will retire from ODI cricket after the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup. Naveen has played 7 ODIs for Afghanistan having made his international debut back in 2016 against Bangladesh he last played an ODI for Afghanistan in January 2021. Naveen has picked up 14 wickets at an average of 25.42.
“I’ll be retiring from ODI cricket after this World Cup,” Naveen told Cricbuzz. “Because of the workload and recent injuries that I have come across that’s (quit longer format cricket and concentrate on shorter format cricket) what I have been advised by my doctors & physiotherapist,” he said.
The Decision
“To prolong my career I have to leave the longer format and concentrate on T20 cricket,” he said. “Luckily I have been declared fit to play in the World Cup but had been advised to cut down the entire longer-format cricket due to the injury that I have got and focus on shorter formats, and that is down to managing workload,” he added.
Naveen missed the two-match T20I series against Bangladesh as the fast bowler had minor knee surgery in England. Naveen told Cricbuzz that he is planning to quit ODI cricket on the advice of his physician in order to prolong his career. Naveen is already considered a hot commodity in franchise-based cricket and left his mark for Lucknow Super Giants in the last edition of the Indian Premier League for Lucknow Super Giants, with 11 wickets in 8 matches.
The Pace Attack
Earlier this month, Naveen was named in Afghanistan’s 15-member squad for the World Cup, marking the first time he was included in the ODI fold in more than two years. He is expected to form a part of their pace attack along with Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, and all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai. Afghanistan will kick off their World Cup campaign against Bangladesh on October seven in Dharamshala
Afghanistan’s squad for World Cup 2023: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq
