Rashid Khan's 19-year-old body has 30-year-old mind: Simmons

[Switchblade]

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/afghanistan-tour-of-india/rashid-khans-19-year-old-body-has-30-year-old-mind-simmons/articleshow/64419602.cms

 His lack of experience will not stand in Rashid Khan's road to success in the longest format as he has a "30-year-old mind in a 19-year-old body", feels Afghanistan coach Phil Simmons.

 

World's premier T20 bowler will be making his Test debut against India having created a reputation for troubling the best in white ball cricket. However with only four first-class matches under his belt, it could be difficult against a top quality side like India.

"Rashid is all of 19 but he has got the mind of a 30-year-old. He knows exactly what is expected of him. But yes, Mujeeb (17 years) is younger but we will have to see how he copes up with it," Simmons said during an interaction today.

In Test cricket, patience will be paramount and Simmons expects that Rashid will replicate his first-class performance against India during the upcoming Test match.

"It is about them (Rashid and Mujeeb) showing patience too along with our batsmen. Rashid did well against Ireland in four-day cricket last year. He got wickets. He played against practice games against England and he got wickets.

It is not best preparation ahead of the historic Test but Simmons is working hard with the two squads simultaneously - one that takes on Bangladesh in a three match T20 series starting on Sunday and the other which will face the formidable India in the one-off game.

"It has been difficult with the T20 and Test squads training at the same time. But it is getting a bit easier as we are coming up to the game. That is how tours are planned now. You usually have Test matches first and then limited over series or vice versa. We just have to work around that," said Simmons, who has been overseeing joint preparations at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium for close to two weeks.

The team was earlier training in Greater Noida before moving to its second 'home ground' ahead of the Bangladesh series.

Going into the all-important game against India, the team has not even played a competitive practice game as it is busy with the upcoming T20s.

"You are definitely right at that (about lack of warm-up games ahead of Test). Especially, playing the best team in the world (India) but that is how it is. I am not going to worry about. Though we did have a three day practice match here," said the former West Indies all-rounder.

Afghanistan have gradually improved in every format they have played including four-day cricket. However, the fact that they have not got a taste of Test cricket makes the job all the more challenging.

"The good thing is they have played four-day cricket (winning ICC Inter-Continental Cup twice) . But it still doesn't tell them how tough Test cricket is going to be. I don't think that is something I can teach them. That is something they have to understand when they play."

"We have just tried to make sure that they understand that Test cricket is twice as difficult as an I Cup game. After the first Test match, they will know this level is so much higher and what they need to do to get to that level."

The 55-year-old said the players are still going about their business and are not showing emotion on playing their first ever Test.

"The reaction is still not there. It still has not sunk in yet. The emotional will hit them when they get to Bangalore. But I think they can handle the nerves. We have seen in the last five to six years that they have stepped up in every format that they have played."

Simmons said the players will have to become mentally much tougher to succeed in Tests.

"The biggest challenge is to make them understand what Test cricket is all about. It is different to four day cricket in a massive way. It is getting them to understand the mindset around Test cricket, the patience, how hard it is to score runs. With them it is a little bit technical and a lot more mental. Because you got to have played to understand how mentally tough it is to play for five days," the former West Indies opener explained.

Simmons also feels that the bigger challenge will be for the Afghan batsman rather than the bowlers.

"All we can try is to make sure their technique is as tight as possible. It will be much tougher for the batsmen than the bowlers who do get a second chance after being hit for a boundary," he said. 

•  

[Tattieboy]

That 30 year old body has a 19 year old birth certificate 

[vvvslaxman]

Ask him what is his favorite childhood movie. 

[UrmiSinhaRay]

Because he is actually 30.
No way he can be 19

Sent from my CPH1609 using Tapatalk

[Franco Vazquez]

He's older than 19. He must be close to 25. He might have growth hormone deficiency due to which he has short height

[The Dark Horse]

Talk about shielding a lie with a blatant truth

[express bowling]

30 year old bodies are supposed to have 30 year old minds     

[velu]

afridi has 40 year old body with 16 year old brain @Lala

[Clarke]

1 hour ago, vvvslaxman said:

Ask him what is his favorite childhood movie. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuliwala_(1961_film)

[Lala]

11 hours ago, velu said:

afridi has 40 year old body with 16 year old brain @Lala

he came to international cricket when he was 16 and still fitter than your IPL heroes 

[Adi_91]

4 minutes ago, Lala said:

he came to international cricket when he was 16 and still fitter than your IPL heroes 

Lala is “everfit”. Only problem is that he is not fit to have played International cricket. 

[Cricket_Fan]

On 6/2/2018 at 8:26 PM, Lala said:

he came to international cricket when he was 16 and still fitter than your IPL heroes 

Fit? Lol.Dude, he couldnt bend himself down to pickup a ball even some 10 years back.And talking about IPL heroes, a 36 year old Dhoni is fitter than every youngsta beauty in your team, especially phaasht bowlers who trundles in Tests to bowl 130 kph pies...

[Stuge]

he looks like 23 years old to be honest.... Doesn't look like 19 in my opinion .