Nothing comes above national duty for Rashid
Afghanistan's spin wizard Rashid Khan had given a heartfelt interview during the innings break of the second T20I at Mirpur today regarding Australia's legend Shane Warne's passing away. Later, after the match ended, Rashid left further impressions of how he feels about cricket.
Rumours had swirled in from some international media that Rashid will leave before the T20I series against Bangladesh to play the PSL final with Lahore Qalandars and the player had taken to Twitter to dispel the rumours at the time.
"It's not about work. National duty is national duty [whether] you do well for the national team or you do badly but that is a different thing, that is something which is not in the control of the players but overall I think wherever I go and wherever I play when there is national team matches I have to be there," the leg spinner told reporters today.
"Doesn't matter [if] you perform for the national team or not. When my national team is on tour I have to be there and I have to be ready to play. It's not like I was so effective or I was not. My presence there will give the message to all the youngsters that 'you know there is no bigger thing than national duty'."
He acknowledged that everything he has achieved has been due to the national team. No franchise cricket will be prioritized when the national team is playing.
"Whatever happens you have to leave that and you have to come to national duty. I am here because of my national team as Afghanistan have taken me to this position because if Afghanistan team was not there I don't know where I would be.
"I don't know what I would have been doing but Afghanistan gave me all the respect, all the name…. the name Rashid Khan has been given to me by Afghanistan. I have to respect that and I have to be available for my team anywhere any time," he reiterated.
There has been news in the media that Rashid will not tie the knot until Afghanistan wins the World Cup. He dispelled those rumours too.
"Actually I got this message so many times that I said I will get married once I win the World Cup and I don't know where I said it. I don't have any voice clips. There is no statement. If there is, you [would] know.
"I have got so many messages from people, you know, from fans… I just said in one media that I don't have any plan for marriage in next two years because in next two years I have two World Cups which is T20 and ODIs and then I will think about my marriage but I don't know when I say something different in the media and people take it differently and its fine," the leggie said.