Will Rashid Khan return to Tests? The Afghanistan captain remains scathing

Rashid Khan’s absence from Afghanistan’s one-off Test against India has again raised questions about whether the star leg-spinner will play red-ball cricket again. Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi, however, refused to provide any clarity on Rashid’s long-term future ahead of the match.

Rashid, one of Afghanistan’s greatest cricketers, has been rested for the Test against India as part of workload management plans aimed at protecting his long-running white-ball career. The leg-spinner has severely curtailed his appearances in the longest format in recent years due to recurring back and shoulder problems.

Shahidi said in the pre-match press conference that Rashid and the selectors have to decide on the matter.

“Rashid has done well in the Tests he has played. I have not personally spoken to Rashid about whether he would play a Test again or not. He has had discussions with the selectors and I don’t want to talk about it,” Shahidi said.

The comments leave Rashid’s red ball future uncertain despite his impressive record in the format. The 26-year-old has only played six Tests for Afghanistan but has already taken 45 wickets at an average of just over 21, underlining the impact he has had whenever he has been available.

Rashid has also been involved in some of Afghanistan’s most memorable moments in Test cricket, including their first ever Test victory against Ireland and the famous victory over Bangladesh in 2019, where he captained the side and played with both bat and ball.

WHY DID RASHID KHAN STOP PLAYING TESTS REGULARLY?

Rashid’s limited involvement in Test cricket largely stems from concerns about his fitness and workload.

The leg-spinner has battled recurring back and shoulder injuries over the years, with medical experts reportedly advising him to carefully manage the bowling load associated with red-ball cricket. During the previous Test matches, Rashid had to bowl more than 55 overs in an innings and more than 60 overs in a match, which took a lot of strain on his body.

As a result, Afghanistan Cricket Board officials and the player adopted a cautious approach, with Rashid effectively limiting himself to around one Test appearance a year whenever possible.

This decision also comes with his extensive commitments in international cricket and franchise T20 leagues around the world. Rashid remains one of the most sought-after players in global T20 cricket and is seen as a key figure in Afghanistan’s ODI and T20I plans.

Despite the uncertainty surrounding Rashid, Shahidi believes Afghanistan’s bigger problem lies elsewhere.

AFGHANISTAN WANT MORE TEST CRICKET

While Afghanistan gained Test status in 2017 and played their first Test against India in 2018, opportunities in the format have remained limited.

Shahidi admitted that the lack of regular red-ball cricket continues to hamper Afghanistan’s development as a Test-playing nation.

“We played India in 2018. We have more experience now, but we need to play more to build our Test team. As for domestic cricket, we play six to seven red-ball matches, but Tests, we only get one or two matches a year,” he said.

The Afghanistan captain also dismissed suggestions that the country’s top players are increasingly favoring T20 franchise cricket over the traditional format.

“Everybody knows that our boys are doing very well in the franchise leagues and if you see our performance with the white ball has been good. But still we have a lot of talent in Afghanistan waiting for their chance,” added Shahidi.

Rashid’s Test future remains unanswered for now. What is clear, however, is that Afghanistan still regard him as one of their most important cricketers, even if his appearances in the whites are becoming increasingly rare.

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Issued by:

Debodinna Chakraborty

Published on:

June 4, 2026 6:19 PM IST