Afghanistan Cricket Board may take some harsh decisions: CEO Shafiqullah Stanikzai

Officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) were given a special vantage point to follow their team's Test debut against India at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru. As it turned out, the match ended in two days, exposing their batting frailties. It was Eid, but for the Afghanistan officials who had worked hard to attain full member status with the ICC last year, there was no joy in watching their batsmen being dismissed twice in a day. The lessons from their first outing as a Test nation were harsh but the ACB officials looked to take away the positives from this encounter.

Speaking to THE WEEK, Shafiqullah Stanikzai, CEO of the ACB, spoke about the way forward in Test cricket for the team and decisions that lay in store for some players and coaches. The standards of fitness, fielding and batting skills are set to be raised and going by the manner in which the ACB has stuck to its timelines regarding cricket development, the intentions can only be taken in all seriousness. Excerpts from the interview:

Now that the first step has been taken by Afghanistan in Test cricket, your thoughts on way ahead?

It is good to be on this stage to be honest. Reaching this stage was one task but to remain there is a huge one for us as administrators. The players and coaching staff have to know where they need to work. I am more happy here that we got to know what are the boxes that need to be ticked to perform well and showcase our talent well in the longest format of the game. Playing the best teams of the world is how we can achieve our ultimate goal of being the best. This was the best lesson we learnt.

Which are the boxes that need to be ticked?

I would say, fitness is of utmost importance. Henceforth, there will be no compromise on the fitness level. If you are fit enough, you can survive five days on the field. There might be some harsh decisions that Afghanistan Cricket Board may want to take. Fielding needs to improve. I won't question the performance of players for the time being because we need to control the 'controllables'.

I won't question my players who faced the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin or Ravindra Jadeja who are among the top bowlers in the world. I won't question the batting abilities. Of course we bowled well, fielded well but fitness was a huge question mark for me.

We need to sit together and assess the performance of the side. We need to be on the same page, and work on plans. Our ultimate goal is to be rated as a prime force in cricket in all three formats of the game.

To play the number one Test team in your debut match... do you feel it was the correct decision?

I am so happy with this decision. Playing the best team gives you indicators on what needs to be done. It gave us the best indication of where we are and what needs to be done.

How will you plan Test cricket matches from here onwards and post ICC World Cup in June 2019 when the new FTP comes in. How will Afghanistan figure in the new cycle?

Our prime objective is to play 2019 WC well, and, in this current FTP, we are playing Test cricket against Ireland and Zimbabwe. We are playing West Indies and Australia. We might play England and Bangladesh. After 2022, we would be in very good position to see ourself in the next tier of Test cricket.

How long is the gap between Afghanistan's first and second Test?

We are playing Ireland in February 2019. The gap is not so much. We need to control 'controllables'.

Any discussions with the BCCI on possibility of playing in Duleep Trophy?

We had a discussion with the BCCI, but, to be honest, we are not pushing them that far. We are thankful for whatever we are getting from them. The decision on Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy depend on associations. But, of course, the idea of giving our players more exposure to longer format is welcome.