Seam-bowling all-rounders are precious commodities. No team knows that better than India, which has often had a vexing search for multifaceted options who can bat in the top seven and bowl fast. Even when such cricketers come along, like in the cases of Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar, the spectre of injury tends to loom large.
“We used to watch the big names on TV and now we play with them. When we play internationally, we don’t feel extra pressure. We are used to playing big matches in front of big crowds. There is no fear playing against India. In the absence of top-notch facilities in Kabul, Afghanistan shuffles between India and the UAE for its ‘home’ matches. “It is difficult. The conditions in the UAE and Kabul are similar. That is why we are more successful in the UAE. We try to adjust wherever we go.
Because they play at home,” he noted, we don’t get home advantage like other countries do.
All the players are on an equal footing,” Omarzai said over a Zoom call. It is far from ideal to not have a dedicated home venue, according to Omarzai.