Afghanistan youngster Naveen ul Haq has shocked the cricketing world after announcing his sudden decision to retire from ODIs following the conclusion of the 2023 ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup.
Naveen ul Haq, 24, was added to Afghanistan’s ODI squad for the the upcoming World Cup. After the announcement, the 24-year-old revealed on social media that he would be retiring from the ODI format at the end of the showpiece event, slated to be played in India from October 5.
After a gap of two-year from the ODI format, the youngster made a return in Afghanistan’s World Cup squad.
The pacer expressed that although it was not an easy call but feels it will help him prolong his playing career. “It has been an absolute honour to represent my country would like to announce my retirement from ODI format at end of this World Cup and will continue to wear this blue jersey in t20 cricket for my country it hasn’t been an easy decision to make but to prolong my playing career had to take this tough decision would like to thank @afghanistancricketboard. And all my fans for their support and unwavering love,” wrote Naveen along with a photo of him in the Afghanistan jersey.
Notably, Naveen has played just seven ODIs so far but has become a well-known face in the T20I setup since making his international debut in 2016.
Earlier this year, Naveen had made headlines for his on-field tension with Virat Kohli during IPL 2023.
Afghanistan has announced a strong squad for the showpiece tournament in India with Naveen’s return further boosting the bowling attack. Apart from him, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman and Omarzai form a strong pace attack for the team as they head to the World Cup.
Afghanistan will play a warm-up game against Sri Lanka on October 3 before kicking-off their campaign against Bangladesh at the HPCA Stadium in Dharamshala on October 7.