‘Ball won’t kill you, but bullets will’: Rashid Khan talks about his childhood in war-torn Afghanistan

Rashid Khan (Image credit: ACB) NEW DELHI: Afghanistan cricket has come a long way from being a war-torn nation to establishing itself on the world stage. The team has produced stunning performances, challenging some of the best teams in the world and achieving big wins against top teams. Afghanistan, once seen as minnows, have slowly shed that tag and emerged as a team capable of becoming a nightmare for the opposition.As Afghanistan prepare to take on India in a three-match T20I series starting on Sunday at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi, star all-rounder Rashid Khan has opened up about the challenges he faced as a child in the war-torn country and how those experiences helped shape his mindset.Rashid is part of the Afghanistan T20I squad for the series against India, with all three matches to be played in Delhi.During The Parenting Pause podcast, Rashid was asked, “You were born into a country that had some level of conflict. There was war. There was some instability. Your memories?”“Well, I think the cricket is a normal thing, you know. And like I mentioned, what our parents went through, when they share their life experiences with us, we’re like, you know, so blessed. It’s nothing. This pressure is nothing. What we do in our life is nothing compared to what they went through. You know how it was in Afghanistan 30 years ago, 30 years ago, like you, our parents fought like 3 in 3. You know, 40 years ago,” Rashid said.“My mom and dad, they share their experiences – how we went from this place to that place and how hard it was for them to go through all these things. So I was glad that they saw the bullets go up in the air. For us to see the ball go up in the air, it’s just easy. You know, it won’t kill you, but it can kill you. So, having it – you can’t do anything about it, you can’t do anything about it – it can’t be for you.” you will not die It’s not something you die for.Rashid said the mental strength he has developed over the years comes in large part from watching his parents deal with difficult situations.“And I feel like that all comes from my parents. You know, the mindset they had, how strong they were at that particular time, you know, to help and raise your kids in those tough situations as well. I think they were the strongest and I feel like we just got that mentality from our parents.”“And whenever I face some tough days, a tough time, I just think about how hard it would be. But they never let me down. So why should I let myself down with this pressure?”Rashid said that when he remembers what his parents went through, it helps him feel the pressure and the tough times.“So I think it all comes down mentally, like, you know, having those things in your mind, and then you become mentally stronger. So yeah, I think I feel like I keep it inside me, and that helps me in the tough times. It just helps me and everything goes in seconds when I think about it. You put everything in perspective. Yeah. So there’s nothing left.”“It’s like, well, now they say what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger.Rashid believes that difficult situations can become opportunities for learning and growth.“It just teaches you and makes you stronger and makes you a better listener. So I think in a pressure situation, a tough situation, you know, I’m so happy for that time because it’s not just a pressure situation, it’s just the best time for me to learn and get good experiences and become a better person, physically and mentally,” he said.