Goan cricketer Aayan Afzal Khan who plays for the UAE team along with his coach, former Indian cricketer Robin Singh.
Photo Credits: The Goan
GEELONG, AUSTRALIA
He is only 16 years old and just short of turning 17 but he is the youngest player to play in the T20 cricket World Cup.
Aayan Afzal Khan from Margao has made Goa proud as he represented the United Arab Emirates in the ICC showpiece event played in Australia. With age on his side, hard work will see this youngster shine in the years to come.
In the three qualifiers that UAE played in Geelong, Victoria, the right-handed batsman and left-arm spinner played in all three matches, scoring a modest 38 runs and claiming two wickets. UAE played the qualifiers against Sri Lanka, Namibia and Netherlands. UAE lost the first two matches against Netherlands and Sri Lanka but won the final one against Namibia.
Speaking to The Goan on Thursday, Aayan said, “It feels too good. We played well, we did a lot of hard work and we won this match."
Being the youngest player in the tournament, Aayan said, “It feels great, my parents helped me a lot and now I am here. It's a great feeling to play with this team.” Asked how it feels to play for the UAE team, he said, “It feels good to play for the UAE team. I am from India but lived in UAE for over 15 years and it's a great achievement for me.”
Asked what is his message to young Goan cricketers, he said, “Do hard work, Insha Allah, Allah is there with you always. He will give you all the plans.” About his future plans, he said, “I will return home to UAE and continue to work hard and improve my skills and performance.”
Further asked as to how he felt when he was named in the UAE team, he said, “My coach, former India all-rounder Robin Singh was the first to inform me that I was the youngest player in the ICC T20 World Cup."
“My idol is Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya,” he said.
Robin Singh, who spotted Aayan and roped him into the team, labelled the Goan "a future star” and it was all his game play to bring about a young side to give them the necessary exposure at the international level.
Along with the memories of playing on the world stage in a T20 World Cup, Aayan said the Australia souvenirs in the bag will be the prized possessions, reminding him of his trip Down Under. Aayan is the eldest of the two children of Afzal Pathan and Shahista, hailing from Borda. Beside playing for the UAE national side, he is pursuing his higher seconday studies in commerce in the country.
