Hashmatullah Shahidi has stepped down as Afghanistan’s One-Day International (ODI) captain with immediate effect, ending a four-and-a-half-year tenure in charge of the national side. His resignation comes after months of speculation over Afghanistan’s leadership following a mixed run of results.
Kabul | By Sara Amiri
Hashmatullah Shahidi has resigned as Afghanistan’s ODI and Test captain with immediate effect, bringing an end to his tenure as leader of the national side after more than four years in the role.
In a statement, Shahidi said the decision was made voluntarily and thanked the Afghanistan Cricket Board, coaches, teammates and supporters for their trust throughout his captaincy.
“Serving as captain of my team was a great honour,” Shahidi said. “Although I am stepping down from the captaincy, I will continue to serve the team as a committed player and do my best for its success.”
Shahidi’s resignation follows months of debate over Afghanistan’s leadership, with his captaincy coming under increasing scrutiny after a series of inconsistent performances. While social media reports suggested there had been disagreements over the future of the role, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has not commented on those claims.
The 31-year-old captained Afghanistan in 55 ODIs between January 2022 and June 2026, leading the team to 27 victories. His tenure included appearances at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup, the 2023 Asia Cup, and the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.
One of the defining moments of Shahidi’s captaincy came at the 2023 Cricket World Cup, where Afghanistan defeated England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the Netherlands before finishing sixth, narrowly missing out on a place in the semi-finals. The result secured Afghanistan’s qualification for the 2025 Champions Trophy.
Under Shahidi’s leadership, Afghanistan also recorded bilateral ODI series victories over Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Ireland.
Despite those achievements, Afghanistan struggled for consistency in recent months, prompting growing discussion among fans and cricket analysts about the team’s direction and leadership ahead of future ICC events.
Shahidi’s individual batting record remained relatively stable throughout his captaincy. In 96 ODI appearances, he averaged 33.79 as captain compared with 32.97 when not leading the side. His only ODI century came in his most recent ODI appearance, scoring 102 off 131 balls against India in Chennai in June 2026.
Earlier this year, the Afghanistan Cricket Board appointed Ibrahim Zadran as captain of the T20 International side, replacing Rashid Khan, a move that generated widespread debate within Afghanistan’s cricket community.
Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports have linked Rahmat Shah with the ODI and Test captaincy. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has yet to announce Shahidi’s successor.
Afghanistan’s next ODI assignment is scheduled for August, when the national team tours Ireland for a five-match series.
Hashmatullah Shahidi became Afghanistan’s ODI captain in January 2022 and oversaw one of the most successful periods in the team’s history, including a memorable campaign at the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup. His resignation marks another significant leadership change for Afghanistan following the appointment of Ibrahim Zadran as T20I captain. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has not yet confirmed who will lead the ODI side for the upcoming tour of Ireland.