Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja has joined the Afghanistan cricket team as a mentor for the forthcoming ICC World Cup 2023, starting October 5. The Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side will open its campaign in the showpiece event against Bangladesh at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamsala on October 7.
On Monday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the signing of Jadeja via social media. Taking to microblogging site X, the ACB wrote, “ACB Appointed former Indian Captain and middle-order batter Ajay Jadeja as AfghanAtalan’s Mentor for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.”
NEWSACB Appointed former Indian Captain and middle-order batter Ajay Jadeja as AfghanAtalan’s Mentor for the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023.
More : https://t.co/sm5QrShfTq pic.twitter.com/uEJASEUqzd
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 2, 2023
Ajay Jadeja has played 15 test matches for India from 1992 to 2000, scoring 576 runs at 26.18 with 4 half-centuries to his name and a best of 96.
One of his most memorable ODI innings was his cameo of 45 off 25 balls in the 1996 Cricket World Cup quarter-final against Pakistan in Bengaluru, including smashing 40 runs off the final two overs against fast-bowling great Waqar Younis.
He also played 15 Tests for India from 1992 to 2000, scoring 576 runs at an average of 26.18 with four half-centuries to his name and a best individual score of 96. Jadeja, who made his first-class debut for Haryana in 1988, played 111 first-class and 291 List A games, scoring over 8000 runs with 31 hundreds and 88 fifties combined from both formats of the game.
After his international career was brought to a halt by a five-year ban due to match-fixing, Jadeja worked in some movies as an actor. Though his plea of seeking permission to play international cricket was dismissed by the Delhi High Court, Jadeja did get back to playing domestic cricket for Delhi and later on, became captain-cum coach of the Rajasthan team.
Once his playing days were over, Jadeja ventured into cricket commentary and even served as head coach of the Delhi team in the 2015-16 season, but quit the role just a fortnight after being appointed into it.
Afghanistan World Cup squad: Hashmatullah Shahidi (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Riaz Hassan, Rahmat Shah, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil, Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman, Naveen-ul-Haq.
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