Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan, unlike most sporting icons whose fame is measured in recognition and sold-out stadiums, his prominence comes with the extraordinary burden of ensuring his personal safety.
In a candid conversation with former England captain Kevin Pietersen, Rashid revealed that he could not walk the streets of Kabul freely and had to travel in a bulletproof car.
“I can’t walk down the street in Afghanistan. I have a bulletproof car,” Rashid said matter-of-factly.
“You have a bulletproof car in Kabul? Why?” Peterson asked, stunned.
“It’s for safety,” Rashid explained. “You don’t want to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s normal in Afghanistan. Everyone has it.”
He said he was not allowed to go outside and play. “It was our biggest dream to play for Afghanistan.”
It is pertinent to mention that the Afghanistan leg-spinner has been a dominant force in the shorter formats, thanks to his exceptional bowling record in both international and T20 cricket.
He is the leading wicket-taker in T20 Internationals with 182 wickets in 108 matches at an economy rate of 6.07. In all T20 cricket, he has taken 685 wickets in 504 matches at an economy rate of 6.58, including four five-wicket hauls.