Hashmatullah Shahidi, captain of Afghanistan’s national cricket team in One Day Internationals (ODIs), has stepped down from his role, announcing his resignation in a statement shared on social media. He said the decision was a personal one and confirmed that he will no longer serve as the team’s captain.
Shahidi led Afghanistan’s ODI side from January 2022 to June 2026. During his tenure, he captained the team in 55 matches, guiding Afghanistan to 27 victories.
His captaincy coincided with Afghanistan’s participation in the Asia Cup, the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. At the 2023 World Cup, Afghanistan produced one of the strongest campaigns in its history, defeating England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands, and coming close to securing a place in the semi-finals.
At the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy, Afghanistan recorded another memorable victory over England. However, after their match against Australia was abandoned due to rain, the team narrowly missed out on a semi-final berth and was eliminated from the tournament.
Under Shahidi’s leadership, Afghanistan also achieved notable success in bilateral ODI series, winning three series against Bangladesh, two against Zimbabwe, and one each against South Africa and Ireland.
In his resignation statement, Shahidi expressed his gratitude to the Afghanistan Cricket Board, the coaching staff, his teammates, and the team’s supporters. He described captaining Afghanistan as one of the greatest honours of his career and emphasized that the team’s achievements were the result of unity, collaboration, and the collective efforts of everyone involved.
He also confirmed that, despite stepping down as captain, he will continue representing Afghanistan as a committed player and remain dedicated to the success and growth of Afghan cricket. Shahidi expressed confidence that the team would achieve even greater success under its next captain.
The 31-year-old recently registered his maiden ODI century in Afghanistan’s most recent one-day international against India in Chennai. Playing his 96th ODI, he scored 102 runs off 131 balls, producing one of the finest innings of his international career.
In recent days, following the performances of the Band-e-Amir Zone team in the Shpageeza Cricket League, speculation had intensified over a possible change in the national team’s leadership. However, as of the time of publication, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had not issued an official statement regarding Shahidi’s resignation or the appointment of his successor.
Afghanistan are scheduled to tour Ireland in August for a five-match ODI series. The Afghanistan Cricket Board is expected to clarify the team’s captaincy arrangements before the tour begins.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
