Afghanistan’s longest-serving cricketer of all time, Mohammad Nabi will be stepping down from the longest format just a few games after his country made its debut. Without a doubt their country’s most important figure in the last decade, Nabi played a crucial role in the all-round development of Afghanistan cricket, beginning from T20s to earning them Test status.

In the two Tests he previously played against India and Ireland, Nabi scored just 25 runs and picked up 4 wickets. Although there is scope for him to improve in red-ball cricket, age is also catching up with the 34-year-old, which might’ve forced him to take this decision. There were not many significant moments in the white jersey as a player, but that day in Bangalore when they walked into the field for the first time in Tests is something he will never forget.

”Yes, he [Nabi] will retire after the ongoing Test match,” Nazim Jar Abdurrahimzai, Afghanistan team manager said to Cricbuzz. Nabi is currently in action in the one-off Test against Bangladesh, which will be his third and final Test for the country. There is a certain belief among experts and fans that a bunch of senior cricketers, beginning from Nabi, will be hanging up boots in the Test circuit to start building a strong Test team for the future.

The pioneer of Afghanistan’s growth

There were many cricketers who represented the country in its early days, but none had a more significant impact than Nabi. Afghanistan made its first impression under the captaincy of Nabi in the 2015 World Cup. They made some big teams struggle against them and had a fantastic outing in the 2018 Asia Cup, where they defeated Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and also garnered a tie against India.

The main reason behind his departure is still unconfirmed despite all the rumors floating around. But it is pretty clear that he wants to have a longer run in white-ball cricket, which could be pretty difficult if he continues in Tests. Afghanistan, who are not a part of the World Test Championship, will next be facing West Indies in Dehradun towards the end of this year.