People are always assuming that conditions are very bad in Afghanistan: Azmatullah Omarzai

Afghanistan all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai sought to downplay the impact of the Taliban regime in the country, asserting that things are not as bad as is being reported. He stated that things are getting back to normal and added that the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is also working towards improving facilities in the country.

Concerns were raised worldwide after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August 2021. Star leg-spinner Rashid Khan even posted an appeal on social media following the development, urging world leaders to help his country which, he stated, was 'in chaos'.

In an interview with Cricbuzz, Omarzai shared his thoughts on the situation in Afghanistan and affirmed that things were fine.

"Look, people are always assuming that conditions are very bad in Afghanistan and we cannot go out of the house. But we do go out and also roam around after sunset and there is no problem with that. Everything was normal back then, and it is normal now. There is some lacking as far facilities for cricketers are concerned, but there are facilities," the 23-year-old all-rounder commented.

Elaborating on how the situation has improved concerning cricketing facilities in the country, Omarzai added:

"Earlier there was only one ground but now there are six grounds where we play domestic cricket and now we are building another ground. ACB is planning to host international matches there and the required facilities will be there.”

Omarzai also praised head coach Jonathan Trott for the kind of impact he has had on the team. Hailing the former England batter, he said that Trott has got them to perform as a 'unified force'.

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Azmatullah Omarzai was one of Afghanistan’s star performers in the 2023 ODI World Cup

Afghanistan had a memorable 2023 ODI World Cup campaign, finishing a credible sixth, with four wins and five losses. The Asian side registered impressive triumphs over England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands. They were in a great position to beat Australia as well before Glenn Maxwell’s stunning double hundred turned the tide.

Omarzai was one of the key members of Afghanistan’s team during the 2023 World Cup in India. The hard-hitting batter smashed 353 runs in eight innings at an average of 70.60 and a strike rate of 97.78, with three half-centuries. With his medium pace, he claimed seven wickets at an economy rate of 7.10.

The Afghanistan cricketer was purchased by Gujarat Titans (GT) at the IPL 2024 auction for his base price of ₹50 lakh. He is representing Rangpur Riders in BPL 2024.