Ajay Jadeja Offers Free Mentorship To Afghanistan In ODI World Cup Campaign

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan has disclosed that former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja declined any payment for his mentorship during the team's impressive performance in the 2023 ODI World Cup held in India.

Jadeja played a crucial role as a mentor, guiding Afghanistan to significant victories over former world champions England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. Despite the ACB's repeated attempts to compensate him, Jadeja consistently refused their offers.

"We insisted multiple times, but Jadeja refused to take any money from the Afghanistan Cricket Board for his services during the 2023 ODI World Cup. His response was, 'If you play well, that's all the money and reward I need,'" Khan was quoted as saying by Ariana News.

Jadeja joined the team as a mentor just before the tournament commenced in India. Jonathan Trott, Afghanistan's head coach during the World Cup, credited Jadeja for the team's outstanding performance, which helped them shed their 'minnows' tag.

Currently, the Afghan team has reached the Super 8 stage of the ongoing T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the Caribbean. They advanced from a group that included West Indies and New Zealand.

Following their achievement, Jadeja commented on the unique intensity of matches between Pakistan and Afghanistan compared to those involving India and Pakistan.

"In the 50-over World Cup held in India, I closely observed the Afghan team. After their victory over Pakistan, the dressing room was in a celebratory mood, almost as if everyone was drunk without drinking," Jadeja said in an interview with former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif.

"Many people asked me how it felt after the match. I explained that if there's a tenfold rivalry in Pakistan-India matches, it's a hundredfold in Pakistan-Afghanistan games," he added.