Afghanistan’s seasoned all-rounder Mohammad Nabi said this week he will not be retiring anytime soon and instead dreams of playing with his 18-year-old son Hassan Eisakhil, who represented Afghanistan at the Under-19 World Cup last year.

“It’s my dream. Hopefully, we can do it. He is doing very well … he is a hard worker and I’m also pushing him to do work.

“I want him to make his own goals, if you want to get to be a high-level cricketer, you have to work hard. It’s not enough to make 50 or 60, you have to score 100-plus.

“He’s listening and pushing all the time. When he can talk to me, I try to give him advice to give him confidence for the game.”

Nabi said in November last year that he would not play ODIs after the Champions Trophy. However, his comments this week come on the eve of the tournament, which gets underway in Pakistan on Wednesday, February 19.

For Nabi and the rest of his team, it will be their debut appearance at the tournament.

In 2009, a 24-year-old Mohammad Nabi was part of Afghanistan’s first-ever ODI playing XI. Now, at 40, the veteran all-rounder is preparing to represent his country once again.

Despite his age, Nabi has no plans of calling it quits and says he remains eager to continue playing for the national team.

“I’m still thinking (about the future). These might not be my last ODIs, I will probably play less ODIs and give chances to the youngsters to build experience,” Nabi said.

“I’ve discussed with the senior players and in the high-level games, maybe or maybe not, we’ll see. It will depend on my fitness.”

Fresh off winning the Bangladesh Premier League with Fortune Barishal, Nabi is a key member of Afghanistan’s ICC Champions Trophy 2025 squad and believes the confidence from his recent outings add to his positive state of mind going into the upcoming tournament.

“The preparations for the Champions Trophy have been good,” Nabi said. “I did three sessions with the national team in Abu Dhabi so I’m in good shape.

“Winning the BPL gave me more confidence, from a tough position in the final. In the whole tournament, we did really well and my performances were good as well, bowling and also batting, I helped finish the job in four or five matches,” he said.

While Nabi brings in a wealth of experience, the Afghan lineup for the Champions Trophy is also equipped with fresh faces ready to make a mark at the big stage.

Among them, 20-year-old spinner Nangialai Kharoti has earned a strong backing from Nabi.

“He’s a youngster, who has been doing really well over the last two years. He’s a very good spinner but he’s a good fielder as well. He bowled really well against South Africa and Ireland in Sharjah.

“Hopefully he can get some more wickets in the Champions Trophy, it would be good for the team.”

Kharoti adds to the fierce spin unit of Afghanistan led by the inimitable Rashid Khan, who recently surpassed Dwayne Bravo to become the leading wicket-taker in T20 cricket.

Nabi, Afghanistan’s former captain, remains a key figure in Afghanistan’s squad, which is aiming for a semi-final berth in the Champions Trophy.

Drawn in Group B alongside England, Australia, and South Africa, Afghanistan have assembled a power-packed squad, well-suited to subcontinent conditions.

The team’s first match will be on Friday against South Africa.

Once again Ariana Radio & Television Network (ATN) will ensure cricket fans across the country can watch all Champions Trophy matches live on Ariana Television!

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