According to a new book, Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan was unofficially courted by two nations, including India, with offers of citizenship and the chance to represent them. However, the talented cricketer turned them down, opting to remain faithful to his native country.
The all-rounder tells author Mohammad Haand Jafar in “Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom,” which is set for release on Monday, that he turned down offers of this kind from both Australia and India.
“I received such offers (citizenship and playing) from both Australia and India. But I told them, ‘If I don’t play for my country, I won’t play for any other country either,” Rashid is quoted as saying in the book.
The 27-year-old cricketer describes the Indian offer from the 2023 IPL season in detail, but he doesn’t go into detail about the Australian offer.
Currently representing the Gujarat Titans in the Indian Premier League, Rashid remembers being told by a team administrator that a “high-ranking official from the Indian Cricket Board” wanted to meet him.
“I went over and greeted him. We started talking, and he said: ‘The situation in your country (Afghanistan) is very bad. Come stay in India. We will give you Indian documents, live here, play cricket here.’ I was surprised by what he was saying and didn’t know how to respond. But I smiled and said, ‘Thank you very much. I am playing for my country, Afghanistan,'” Rashid aid, narrating the instance in the book.
Rashid’s allegiance to Afghanistan has previously garnered media attention. According to the book, he scored 34 off 10 balls and claimed three wickets during a game-winning all-around performance in 2018 while playing for Sunrisers Hyderabad against Kolkata Knight Riders.
Fans in India started a social media campaign after the performance, calling on the government to grant him citizenship and even naming the late Sushma Swaraj, the External Affairs Minister at the time.
Responding to the posts, Swaraj tweeted: “I saw all your tweets. But citizenship matters are dealt with by the Ministry of Home Affairs.”
Ashraf Ghani, the president of Afghanistan at the time, responded to the incident by stating that Rashid was a subject of national pride and would not be given to another nation.
Later, Rashid replied, expressing gratitude to the president and restating his resolve to represent Afghanistan.
The book chronicles Rashid Khan’s ascent from the dusty alleyways of Nangarhar to the largest cricket arenas in the globe.
It chronicles his rise from being passed over in an Afghanistan U-19 trial to becoming one of the nation’s top cricket players and winning the 2020 ICC “Player of the Decade” award.
Bloomsbury India publishes “Rashid Khan: From Streets to Stardom” for Rs 299.
While some nations permit dual citizenship, India does not; in order to become an Indian citizen, one must relinquish their previous citizenship.
Rashid Khan’s choice highlights the Afghan cricket team’s strong feeling of patriotism as they have overcome major obstacles to participate internationally.
