Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi revealed that mentor Ajay Jadeja was crying after the team’s stunning campaign in the ODI World Cup 2023. Afghanistan was on a roll in the ODI World Cup 2023 and defeated tournament favourites like England and Pakistan. Hashmatullah Shahidi revealed he didn’t see a more positive person than Ajay Jadeja ever before.
Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja played a significant role in Afghanistan’s stunning show in the ODI World Cup. Jadeja joined the team as a mentor for the showpiece event and helped them in many ways, including making strategies and assisting the players in working on their flaws. Ajay Jadeja also refused to take money for his services to the Afghanistan cricket team.
Afghanistan the most improved and rising Asian team in white ball cricket
If we talk about the most improved cricket teams in the last decade, no team would come close to Afghanistan who have become a powerhouse in a very short time. They are yet to hit the strides in Test cricket but can give the best teams a run for their money in white-ball formats.
The team was on a roll in the ODI World Cup 2023 in India and defeated tournament favourites like England and Pakistan. They also handed defeat to Sri Lanka and almost pulled off a miraculous upset against Australia, only to be denied a win by a brilliant double hundred by Glenn Maxwell.
The performance in the ODI World Cup was not a one-off one for Afghanistan as the team put up another stunning show in the T20 World Cup where they reached the semifinal, beating teams like Australia, New Zealand, and Bangladesh. Afghanistan suffered a defeat to South Africa in the semifinal, however, they picked their first-ever series win over South Africa recently when they defeated the side 2-1 in the ODI series in UAE.
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi was in awe of Ajay Jadeja and said he loved Afghanistan cricket. Shahidi said he didn’t see a more positive person than Jadeja before, adding that he kept motivating the team throughout the tournament. Shahidi revealed Jadeja was crying after Afghanistan’s World Cup campaign.
Afghanistan skipper Hashmatullah Shahidi praises Ajay Jadeja for his contribution to Afghanistan cricket
Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has hailed former mentor Ajay Jadeja’s contribution to the team. Describing him as the most positive person he has ever met, the left-handed batter added that the former India cricketer had tears in his eyes after the conclusion of Afghanistan’s 2023 ODI World Cup campaign.
Ajay Jadeja was appointed mentor of the Afghanistan cricket team for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India. The Asian side had a memorable campaign in the ICC event during which they defeated England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands to finish sixth in the league points table.
During his appearance on Shubhankar Mishra’s podcast, Shahidi was effusive in praising the former India cricketer. Hailing the 53-year-old’s contribution to Afghanistan cricket, he said:
“He is a very positive person. I have never seen a more positive person than Jadeja in my life. He kept motivating us in tough times and during pressure situations. He had knowledge of conditions.”
“After the World Cup ended, I saw tears in his eyes for our country. I have the video as well. He loved Afghanistan so much. We are still in touch,” the 29-year-old went on to add.
Afghanistan have continued their impressive run in international cricket even after the 2023 ODI World Cup. They reached the semifinal of the 2024 T20 World Cup, eventually going down to South Africa. Recently, they registered a historic 2-1 ODI series win over the Proteas in Sharjah
Ajay Jadeja refused to take any money for his services to Afghanistan cricket
Earlier this year, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan revealed that Ajay Jadeja did not take any payment for rendering his services as a mentor during the 2023 ODI World Cup. He added that when the cricket board insisted he take some payment, Ajay Jadeja replied that the team playing well was his reward.
“We insisted multiple times but Jadeja refused to take any money from the Afghanistan Cricket Board for his services during the 2023 ODI World Cup. His response was, ‘If you play well, that’s all the money and reward I need,” Khan was quoted as saying by Ariana News.
A flamboyant personality during his playing days, Ajay Jadeja represented India in 15 Tests and 196 ODIs from 1992 to 2000, scoring 576 and 5,359 runs, respectively. Apart from his batting skills, he was also known for his brilliant fielding one of the many best India had ever produced.