Mohammad Nabi steps down from captaincy after Afghanistan’s winless campaign at the T20 World Cup 2022

Afghanistan skipper Mohammad Nabi has announced to step down as the captain of the national team following their four-run loss against Australia in Adelaide at the ongoing ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2022 on Friday.

Notably, Afghanistan had a terrible campaign in this year’s edition of the multi-team event as they remained winless (lost 3 and 2 wash-outs) in the competition. Nabi made the announcement through his official Twitter handle and also expressed displeasure with the selection committee for ‘not being on the same page.’

“Our T20 World Cup journey came to an end with a result that not us nor our supporters were expecting. We are as frustrated as you are with the outcome of matches. From the last one year, our team preparation was not to a level that a captain would want it or needed for a big tournament. Moreover, in some of the last tours, the team management, selection committee, and I were not on the same page, which had implications on the team balance,” Nabi wrote in a statement on Twitter.

The 37-year-old all-rounder took over as captain before the 2021 T20 World Cup after Rashid Khan‘s resignation. Nabi had previously been named the leader of the side in 2010 when he replaced Nawroz Mangal. Nabi’s latest tenure featured 23 completed games, with 10 wins and 13 defeats.

In this World Cup, Afghanistan started their journey with a loss against England at Perth but fought back brilliantly in their last two matches against Sri Lanka and Australia, respectively. Unfortunately, their games against Ireland and New Zealand were both washed out due to frequent rains in Melbourne.

“Therefore, with due respect, effectively immediately, I announce to STEP DOWN as a CAPTAIN & will continue to play for my country when the management & team need me. I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart who came to the grounds despite matches being affected by the rain and those who supporters us worldwide, your love truly means a lot to us. Long live Afghanistan,” Nabi added.