Left-arm fast bowler Fareed Malik, who is amongst the reserves for Afghanistan's ODI World Cup squad, remains pensive about the Asian Games final result against India in Hangzhou.
After being put in to bat, Afghanistan's scoreboard read 112 for five when rain disrupted play at Zheijang University of Technology Cricket Field last Saturday. Due to the weather interference and no further play, India clinched the gold based on their higher world ranking.
The unforeseen circumstances meant that Afghanistan had to content themselves with a silver medal, echoing their outcomes from the 2010 and 2014 Asian Games. Notably, the 2018 Jakarta edition excluded cricket.
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Malik, boasting 15 ODIs and 28 T20s for Afghanistan, played a pivotal role in the semifinal triumph over Pakistan, registering figures of three for 15 in a span of three overs.
"Aadha aadha kaat dena chaiye tha (laughs). The gold should have been shared given the game's abandonment. Deciding based on rankings wasn't the most suitable. Had the match taken place, it would have been exhilarating," shared Malik with PTI upon rejoining the Afghanistan squad on Tuesday.
It's worth noting that sharing medals in multi-sporting events isn't unheard of. For instance, during the Tokyo Olympics, legendary Italian high jumper Gianmarco Tamberi and Qatar’s Mutaz Barshim jointly took home the gold after both cleared 2.37 metres. However, the weather wasn't a hindrance in their case, unlike the Asian Games cricket final.
On Tuesday, Malik, 2019 World Cup team captain Gulbadin Naib, and Sharafuddin Ashraf were actively participating in the nets after arriving from China. Malik, a 29-year-old native of Jalalabad, showcased his skills against the in-form opener, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, and occasionally managed to trouble him with pace.
Describing his experience playing in China, a country not renowned for cricket, Malik mentioned: "The atmosphere was pleasant but the audience seemed fairly unfamiliar with cricket nuances. Their applause seemed generic, whether it was for a wicket or a sixer." While cuisine posed challenges, Malik and the team stumbled upon a Muslim eatery nearby.
"Nahi toh masla ho jata (otherwise, it would have been problematic)," he quipped.
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