‘IPL has advanced Afghan cricket:Gulbadin Naib shares insight on India-Afghanistan cross-border relations; says, ‘Ishant Sharma, Axar Patel are my good friends’

‘The relationship between India and Afghanistan is very old. Our people love India very much. We receive tremendous love in India. It gives us energy.’ This is what Afghan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib says. He is playing for Dubai Capitals in the International League T-20. Naib spoke with Dainik Bhaskar. Interview with Afghanistan’s all-rounder Gulbadin Naib Question: Your team is the defending champion. You had to face defeat in the first match. How do you see tomorrow’s match?
Gulbadin: If they had made even a small mistake, we could have won the match. They were stuck making 60 runs between 150 and 190. After that, we made a great comeback. This is positive for us because the team showed that we can make a comeback. Question: No team has become back-to-back champions in this tournament. How big is the challenge this time?
Gulbadin: The team is completely new this time. 7-8 players out of 11 are new; they will take time to adjust. Compared to other teams, we have made many changes. It was also difficult to prepare after returning from a major tournament just a week ago. But 4 weeks are remaining, having a bad start is nothing new. Last year we also became champions after losing the first three matches. Hope we will make a comeback with time. Question: IPL auction is coming up. What are your expectations?
Gulbadin: Every player dreams of playing in the IPL. It’s a big deal for us and Afghanistan that many players play there. IPL has taken our cricket forward significantly. We learn a lot by playing with big players. Hope this time will be good too. Question: You and the Afghanistan team get a lot of support in India. How do you see this?
Gulbadin: India and Afghanistan’s relationship is very old. Our people love India very much. We also receive tremendous love in India. Wherever we go, Indian fans support us. We get a lot of positive energy from them. We are always grateful for their support. Question: What are your memorable moments with Indian players?
Gulbadin: Everyone is very humble. Axar Patel is my good friend, we always talk about cricket. Had long conversations with Ishant Sharma in IPL. What I learned from him, I also shared with my young players. Question: What’s the story behind your famous celebration?
Gulbadin: I had a passion for bodybuilding since childhood, and I used to follow Arnold Schwarzenegger. I started this celebration on the field for fun and people liked it. Now, even people from India send videos of actions like mine; it feels good to see that. Question: Who is your favourite all-rounder?
Gulbadin: Jacques Kallis is my all-time favourite all-rounder and among active players, it’s Azmatullah Omarzai.