Rashid Khan to captain Afghanistan in T20Is
New Delhi, Jul 6: Star leg-spinner Rashid Khan was on Tuesday appointed captain of Afghanistan's T20 team by the country's cricket board keeping in mind the shortest format World Cup to be held in UAE from October 17 to November 14.
Left-handed batsman Najibullah Zadran was appointed as the vice-captain of the team.
"All-rounder Rashid Khan has been appointed the T20I captain of Team Afghanistan. Meanwhile Najibullah Zadran has been appointed the National Team's Vice-captain for the format," Afghanistan Cricket Board said in a statement.
"Rashid, one of the well-known global faces of the game, was selected by senior ACB leadership led by ACB Chairman Farhan Yousefzai, for the role considering his experience, brilliant performance as well as leadership skills with the National team over the years."
Rashid, who is ranked world no 2 among bowlers in T20Is, said he is honoured to serve his nation.
"I'm a great believer that a captain is as good as his team. It is Afghanistan that gave me the name RASHID KHAN & it is my duty now to serve my country & my team. Thank you @ACBofficials for the trust & believing in me. It is a dream journey & my fans support will be the key," Rashid tweeted.
Interestingly, Rashid had earlier declined Afghanistan's T20I captaincy, saying that he believes he is more valuable as a player than as a leader.
In 2019, the 22-year-old was named captain across formats but was later replaced by Asghar Afghan in December following Afghanistan's loss to West Indies in a one-off Test and ODI series.
Afghanistan has been clubbed with England, India and South Africa in group B for the T20 World Cup 2021. The remaining two teams will be chosen from the Qualifiers.
The 2021 edition of the tournament was recently shifted to UAE from India due to the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic.
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Bondi Beach shooting suspect conducted firearms training with his father, Australian police say
Melbourne (AP): A man accused of killing 15 people at Sydney's Bondi Beach conducted firearms training in an area of New South Wales state outside of Sydney with his father, Australian police documents released on Monday allege.
The men recorded a video about their justification for the meticulously planned attack, according to a police statement of facts that was made public following Naveed Akram's video court appearance Monday from a Sydney hospital where he has been treated for an abdominal injury.
Officers wounded Akram at the scene of the Dec. 14 shooting and killed his father, 50-year-old Sajid Akram.
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The New South Wales state government confirmed Naveed Akram was transferred on Monday from a hospital to a prison. Neither facility was identified by authorities.
The statement alleges the 24-year-old and his father began their attack by throwing four improvised explosive devices toward a crowd celebrating an annual Jewish event at Bondi Beach, but the devices failed to explode.
Police described the devices as three aluminium pipe bombs and a tennis ball bomb containing an explosive, black powder and steel ball bearings. None detonated, but police described them as “viable” IEDs.
Authorities have charged Akram with 59 offences, including 15 counts of murder, 40 counts of causing harm with intent to murder in relation to the wounded survivors and one count of committing a terrorist act.
The antisemitic attack at the start of the eight-day Hanukkah celebration was Australia's worst mass shooting since a lone gunman killed 35 people in Tasmania state in 1996.
The New South Wales government introduced draft laws to Parliament on Monday that Premier Chris Minns said would become the toughest in Australia.
The new restrictions would include making Australian citizenship a condition of qualifying for a firearms license. That would have excluded Sajid Akram, who was an Indian citizen with a permanent resident visa.
Sajid Akram also legally owned six rifles and shotguns. A new legal limit for recreational shooters would be a maximum of four guns.
Police said a video found on Naveed Akram's phone shows him with his father "reciting their political and religious views and appear to summarise their justification for the Bondi terrorist attack.”
The men are seen in the video “condemning the acts of Zionists” while they also “adhere to a religiously motivated ideology linked to the Islamic State,” police said.
Video shot in October shows them “firing shotguns and moving in a tactical manner” on grassland surrounded by trees, police said.
“There is evidence that the Accused and his father meticulously planned this terrorist attack for many months,” police allege.
