Don’t cry for Afghanistan, local resident Nabi’s heroics, and a scorer with one hand

By K.R. Nayar
From Abu Dhabi Zayed Cricket Stadium

Afghanistan failed to reach the Super Four stage, which was very disappointing for their fans. One ardent supporter, who plays domestic cricket in the UAE, said, “Don’t cry for Afghanistan”, mimicking the famous line from the song ‘Don’t Cry for Me Argentina’. A few Afghanistan fans from Sharjah had hired vans to be at the Dubai International Stadium, as they had expected their team to be in the final. 

Mohammad Nabi celebrates on taking a wicket after his breezy knock of 60 on Thursday. Photo: ACC

Forty-year-old Mohammad Nabi, who was the star performer for Afghanistan against Sri Lanka on Thursday with a knock of 60 off 22 balls, hitting five sixes in one over from Dunith Wellalage, resides in Ajman, an emirate near the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. He plays in the domestic matches here with his son Hassan Khan. This reporter was a commentator for a Sharjah domestic match in which both the father and son played for Bukhatir XI. He also plays for Sharjah Warriors in UAE’s ILT20 tournament.

When Mohammad Nabi and son played for Bukhatir XI  

Scoring with one hand amidst the handshake storm

 At a time when the controversy over the handshake had clouded the Asia Cup 2025, a scorer with only one hand has been recording all the match details in the official scorebook. Prashanth Kumar, the scorer at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium press box, whose right arm is not more than one foot long because of a birth defect, uses his left hand to record the scores. He is proud of the fact that he has recorded all the India-Pakistan matches played at this venue and has been the scorer for the Asia Cup, the Champions Trophy, the T20 World Cup, and the Indian Premier League (IPL) held here. He hails from a small village in Hyderabad, India.

Prashanth Kumar, scoring with his left-hand during the ongoing Asia Cup. Photo: K.R. Nayar 

Speaking to this reporter, he said: “I love scoring and it was my dream to score in a World Cup. Today I have scored not only in a T20 World Cup in 2021 but also in the Asia Cup and the 2014 and 2020 IPL. I have never missed an India-Pakistan match here.” His remark on the joy of scoring was touching: “I feel happy that whatever cricketers perform with both their hands, I record it with my one hand. Whatever a scorer records, it is for eternity.”

When Prashanth Kumar realised his dream of scoring in a World Cup during the 2021 T20 World Cup. Photo: K.R. Nayar  

Kuldeep and his idol Wasim Akram

Kuldeep Yadav is a big football fan. He had once remarked that cricket is his game and football is his passion. He even has a YouTube channel to discuss football. So, during the pre-match press conference before India’s match against Oman, Yadav was asked about his love for football, and he revealed that he watches many team games. “In any sport, you just watch them and admire them, how they play. Especially in team games, the communication, the connection between the players, how they lift each other — that's the most important thing.”

Kuldeep Yadav addresses the pre-match press conference against Oman. Photo by K.R. Nayar 

Interestingly, his childhood idol was Wasim Akram, who is here as a commentator for the Asia Cup. Yadav wanted to bowl left-arm pace like Akram before his coach transformed him into a left-arm spinner. The Pakistan tram would have preferred that he had remained a seamer, as his spin is proving to be virtually unplayable.

 Speechless Shoaib Akhtar is most welcome

Former Pakistan pacer Shoaib Akhtar, following the no-handshake incident, remarked during a television show: “I’m speechless. It is disheartening to see and I don’t know what to say.” An Indian fan remarked that Akhtar being speechless is best, as he has often made the most controversial comments. In fact, his autobiography itself is titled ‘Controversially Yours.’

 

Shoaib Akhtar share a joke with yours sincerely while seated next in the press box during  a Pakistan Test series 

In a comedy show, Akhtar had once remarked that if one added up his teammates Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, and Shahid Afridi’s ages, the Pakistan team itself would be 150 years old!

Kusal Mendis and handshake

Sri Lanka’s wicketkeeper-batter Kusal Mendis emerged as the Player of the Match for his unbeaten 74 against Afghanistan on Thursday. Since the handshake has become the talk of the tournament, everything about players and handshakes is being dug out. It was found that Mendis has a bad past with a handshake.

Kushal Mendis celebrates his half century against Afghanistan on Thursday. Photo: ACC

In March 2024, when he was the skipper of the ODI team against Bangladesh, he had verbally abused the umpires while shaking hands after the match, and was fined for that act.