The town of Khost in south-eastern Afghanistan is isolated by in excess of 1800 kms from Ranchi, the capital of Jharkhand, India. The accounts of the two urban communities’ number one children in any case, are nearer. Like MS Dhoni, Rahmanullah Gurbaz adored football, playing goalkeeper in the amicable road games. Like his cricketing symbol, once presented to the game, keeping-batting turned into Gurbaz’s fixation. Proprietor of a broad motorbike assortment? Not actually, this one love quick vehicles however we can let that slide for sentiment. All the more significantly, very much like the previous Indian captain, Gurbaz’s preferring of the game was met with reservations back home. On the whole, a snapshot of disclosure.
Gurbaz was 13 and playing tennis ball cricket when the mentor of the Khost area, Mohammad Khan Zadran was shocked by what he saw as colossal ability. “I requested that he come to my foundation and begin playing with the hard ball,” he tells The Indian Express over telephone while regulating a morning meeting at his foundation in Khost.
Gurbaz’s dad, a school head, wasn’t excessively enamored with his child placing extended periods of time in cricket over his own goal of him turning into a specialist. Senior sibling Saadat would defy Zadran over the matter. “His senior sibling told me, ‘I won’t allow him to play. Pehle school karega, phir cricket.’ Rahmanullah began crying at that point and trembled, ‘I’ll play cricket. I will not go to class’.”
It might have been a fleeting melt of the heart yet Saadat and his family in the end surrendered to the fantasy of the second most youthful among seven siblings. “His sibling instructed me to do as Gurbaz wished. In five-six years, he was important for the U-19 group. Presently he’s essential for the public group,” says Zadran, similarly as an uproarious cheer of a limit being hit can be heard behind the scenes.
It is this ziddi (obstinate) nature of Gurbaz that has been a basic figure his fleeting ascent, figures Zadran. “The more youthful ones are constantly revered. Rahmanullah was ziddi for everything. I used to surrender to his tenacity and let him assume the part he needed to. An opener, a manager since his beginning days.”
Couple that with his dileri (mental fortitude) to play the hardest bowlers based on his conditions, and you can figure out the promotion around Gurbaz. One just has to go as far back as his 151 against Pakistan in August. An innings where he showed that even the most discussed pace assault in current cricket could be brought down. At the point when Shaheen Shah Afridi went short with the new ball, out came the derisive pulls. Naseem Shah’s crude speed was nearly seen in sluggish movement by getting across the stumps to pass through covers. Haris Rauf changed from full to short and afterward length, yet couldn’t try not to be hit for four limits in succession.
“His greatest strength is his boldness. Quick or slow, he isn’t apprehensive about anybody. Apni pasand ka ball aata hai toh sbko maarta hai (When he gets a ball however he would prefer, no bowler is protected,” says Zadran.
Of late however, among the discussions Zadran has had with his ward has been the idea to value his wicket more in the 50 overs design.
“In the first place, he used to bat in both T20 and One Day the same way. I told him, ‘You have the shots yet esteem your wicket more. Try not to go for successes without fail. Udhar maarte, idhar maarte, ek do shot ko leke chalo (Don’t go for excessive shots like clockwork).’ ODI is a round of singles-duplicates.” That T20 approach in the ODIs has been a major contention stacked against Afghanistan in the organization. Gurbaz’s strike rate dropping from 116 in his most memorable year to 80 of every 2023, and the hundreds coming more regularly (four of his five over the most recent 20 months), looks good for them. Or on the other hand as lead trainer Jonathan Trott puts it, “The more Gurbaz bats for us, the more opportunity we have of winning.”
In barely eight years of getting down to business cricket, Gurbaz strolls into the 2023 World Cup as Afghanistan’s huge batting trust. The reservations at home have been covered for good.
“They are extremely cheerful, presently he’s acquiring for them additionally,” says Zadran, who’s not simply discussing the monetary benefits of the family. Some time before Gurbaz took to cricket, his family was among the most regarded in Khost, politeness of his dad’s work in the scholastic local area. Rahmanullah’s cricket has now taken the Gurbaz name past Khost’s famous pinnacles. In scaling those levels however, the Afghanistan opener hasn’t failed to remember the bigger picture.
“Us mountain individuals, we like to remain attached to the ground. Presently when Gurbaz comes to the foundation, he lets the understudies know everything I once said to him,” says his mentor. In Afghanistan, the recent years have seen the arrival of the Taliban system. The cultural significance of cricket is perpetually so. It is in these times that the MS Dhoni fan has cut out his very own public picture.
“Small children come to the foundation now and say, ‘I need to be Rahmanullah and hit 4s and 6s the manner in which he does.’ With regards to batting, he’s the most ideal symbol for them in Afghanistan.”
