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'Corrupt leadership has compelled me to step back': Afghanistan batter levels huge allegations against ACB, takes indefinite break

Afghanistan batter Usman Ghani on July 3 (Monday) levelled massive allegations at the country's cricket board and announced his decision to take a break from international cricket for an indefinite period of time.

SportsTak

• Tue • 04 Jul 2023

Afghanistan batter Usman Ghani on July 3 (Monday) levelled massive allegations at the country's cricket board and announced his decision to take a break from international cricket for an indefinite period of time. Ghani alleged corruption in Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and revealed that the chairman remained unavailable despite the cricketer's multiple visits. Furthermore, Ghani added that he will return to Afghanistan cricket once the 'right management and selection committee' is appointed.

"After careful consideration, I have decided to take a break from Afghanistan Cricket. The corrupt leadership in the cricket board has compelled me to step back. I will continue my hard work and eagerly await the right management and selection committee to be put in place," Ghani said in a tweet.

"Once that happens, I will proudly return to play for Afghanistan. Until then, I am backing myself from representing my beloved nation Despite multiple visits, I couldn't meet the chairman as he remained unavailable.

"Moreover, the chief selector had no satisfactory response for my exclusion from all formats," he added.

The 26-year-old Ghani made his international debut during an ODI match against Hong Kong in 2014. A year later, the right-handed opening batter made his T20I debut against Zimbabwe. Since then, Ghani has represented Afghanistan in 52 international matches.

The 26-year-old has played 17 ODIs, scoring 425 runs in the process at an average of 25.58. He has also registered one century and two half-centuries in the format. In T20Is, Ghani has so far played 35 matches and scored 786 runs at an average of 25.35 and strike rate of 107.23. He has smashed four fifties for Afghanistan in the shortest format of the game.

The 26-year-old's last appearance in ODIs came in January 2022 while he was last seen in an Afghanistan jersey during a T20I match against Pakistan in March 2023.