Hashmatullah Shahidi steps down as Afghanistan ODI captain

Afghanistan’s Hashmatullah Shahidi has announced his resignation as ODI captain with immediate effect on Wednesday. The 31-year-old batter made the announcement through Instagram, marking the end of a major era in Afghan cricket. Shahidi took charge in January 2022 and captained the side across 55 ODIs, with his final match coming against India in June 2026.

During his four-and-a-half-year tenure, the left-hander oversaw Afghanistan’s participation in three major tournaments. He led the side at the 2023 Asia Cup, the 2023 World Cup, and the 2025 Champions Trophy. Afghanistan secured 27 victories from the 55 matches he captained. Memorable wins over England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands came at the 2023 World Cup, though the team narrowly finished sixth and missed out on the semi-finals. At the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, Afghanistan defeated England again but fell short of the semi-finals after their fixture against Australia was abandoned due to rain.

“Resignation from the captaincy after careful personal consideration, I have decided to step down as captain of our team. It has been a great honor to lead this team. I sincerely thank the management, coaches, my teammates, and our supporters for their trust and support throughout this journey. Although I am resigning as captain, I remain fully committed to serving the team as a player and wish the new captain and the team continued success,” Shahidi wrote on Instagram.

Why did Shahidi step down at this stage?

The exact reasons for Shahidi’s departure were not detailed in his public statement. He confirmed he will remain available as a player for future ODI assignments, keeping his options open for future involvement with the side.

What lies ahead for Afghanistan’s captaincy?

Afghanistan are scheduled to tour Ireland in August for a five-match ODI series, which is expected to be the first ODI campaign under a new captain. The Afghanistan Cricket Board must now identify and announce Shahidi’s successor before the tour begins. The matches are scheduled to run from August 5 to 14, 2026.

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