Hashmatullah Shahidi steps down as Afghanistan ODI captain

KABUL: Afghanistan batter Hashmatullah Shahidi has stepped down as the country's One-Day International (ODI) captain with immediate effect, bringing an end to a four-and-a-half-year tenure in charge.

The 31-year-old led Afghanistan in 55 ODIs from January 2022 until their most recent assignment against India in June 2026.

During his spell as captain, Shahidi guided Afghanistan at the 2023 Asia Cup, the 2023 ICC Men's Cricket World Cup and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

One of the highlights of his captaincy came at the 2023 World Cup, where Afghanistan registered memorable victories over England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. The team narrowly missed out on a place in the semi-finals after finishing sixth in the standings.

That finish secured Afghanistan qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy in Dubai, where they claimed another notable win over England. However, they failed to progress to the semi-finals after their crucial fixture against Australia was abandoned because of rain.

Afghanistan also enjoyed success in bilateral ODI series under Shahidi, recording victories over Bangladesh on three occasions, Zimbabwe twice, and South Africa and Ireland once each.

Despite his achievements as captain, Shahidi's batting statistics remained largely consistent throughout his career. While not leading the side, he averaged 32.97 with a strike rate of 64.39. As captain, those figures improved marginally to an average of 33.79 and a strike rate of 70.77.

His only ODI century came in Afghanistan's most recent 50-over international against India in Chennai, where he scored 102 from 131 deliveries.

Afghanistan are scheduled to return to ODI action in August when they tour Ireland for a five-match series, with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) expected to announce Shahidi's successor before the tour.