Mohammad Nabi quits as Afghanistan skipper after winless T20 World Cup exit
Adelaide, Nov 4: Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi on Friday stepped down from his position with immediate effect, following the side's debacle in the T20 World Cup where they failed to win a single match.
Nabi though cited his disappointment with the team's preparation for the showpiece and disagreements with the management and selection committee for quitting captaincy.
Shortly after the team ended their campaign at the T20 World Cup with a narrow four-run loss against Australia here, the 37-year-old took to social media to announce his decision.
"Our T20 World Cup journey came to an end, with a result that not us nor our supporters were expecting. We are as frustrated as you are with the outcome of matches," the spin allrounder wrote in a statement shared on his Twitter account.
Following their loss to Australia, Afghanistan became the only team to stay winless in the tournament with three defeats and two no-results. They finished at the bottom of Super 12 Group I with two points.
"From the last one year, our team preparation was not to a level that a captain would want it or needed for a big tournament," he wrote.
"Moreover, in some of the last tours the team management, selection committee and I were not on the same page which had implications on the team balance.
"Therefore, with due respect, effectively immediately I announce to STEP DOWN as a CAPTAIN & will continue to play for my country when the management & team need me."
Nabi, who had taken over the captaincy just before the T20 World Cup in the UAE last year after Rashid Khan's resignation, thanked his supporters.
"I thank every single one of you from the bottom of my heart who came to the grounds despite matches being affected by the rain and those who supporters us worldwide, your love truly means a lot to us. Long live Afghanistan."
Nabi, who was earlier named captain in 2010, led Afghanistan in 23 games in his latest stint with the team winning 10 and losing 13 matches.
Afghanistan's most capped player, Nabi, has played three Tests, 133 ODIs and 104 T20Is, scoring a total of 4362 runs and snapping 234 wickets.
— Mohammad Nabi (@MohammadNabi007) November 4, 2022
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Motivational speaker Sonu Sharma slams govt, Supreme Court over Aravalli Hills order
Says If Aravalli falls, our future falls
New Delhi: Motivational speaker and life coach Sonu Sharma has strongly criticised the Narendra Modi-led central government and the Supreme Court over recent developments related to the Aravalli Hills, warning that the decisions could have long-term consequences for North India’s environment and air quality.
In a video posted on social media, Sharma questioned the logic behind treating parts of the Aravalli range measuring less than 100 metres in height as non-mountains, a position that has emerged from recent legal interpretations. Without naming specific judgments, Sharma said such reasoning effectively strips large portions of the ancient mountain range of legal protection and opens the door for large-scale mining.
The Aravalli range, considered one of the oldest mountain systems in the world, plays a crucial role in checking desertification, regulating climate and acting as a natural barrier against dust storms from the Thar desert. Environmentalists have long warned that continued degradation of the Aravallis could worsen air pollution in cities such as Delhi and accelerate ecological damage across Rajasthan, Haryana and the National Capital Region.
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In the video, Sharma argued that redefining mountains based on arbitrary height criteria amounts to legitimising environmental destruction. He compared it to denying basic human identity based on physical attributes, calling the approach illogical and dangerous. He claimed that in Rajasthan alone, nearly 12,000 peaks are part of the Aravalli system, and that only around 1,000 of them exceed 100 metres, leaving the vast majority vulnerable to legal mining activity.
Sharma also took aim at a televised statement by senior news anchor Rajat Sharma, who had said that Delhi’s pollution gets trapped because the city is shaped like a bowl surrounded by the Aravalli Hills. Sharma rejected the argument that the Aravallis are responsible for pollution, instead describing them as the “lungs of North India” whose destruction is aggravating the crisis.
Without directly naming the court, Sharma said institutions were issuing orders without understanding environmental realities. His remarks have been widely interpreted as a criticism of the Supreme Court’s recent stance on the Aravalli Hills, which has drawn concern from environmental groups who fear it may weaken safeguards against mining.
The video has gained significant traction online, given Sharma’s large following of over five million followers on Instagram and more than 13 million subscribers on YouTube. Many users echoed his concerns, saying unchecked mining and construction in the Aravallis would worsen water scarcity, air pollution and desertification.
Sharma ended his message with a call to protect the Aravalli range, warning that continued neglect would have irreversible consequences. “If the Aravalli falls, our future will also fall,” he said, urging citizens to speak up against policies and orders that, in his view, prioritise development over environmental survival.
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