Afghanistan cricket star Rashid Khan to donate World Cup match fees to earthquake victims

Prominent Afghan cricketer Khan says he learned of 6.3-magnitude quake that killed 2,400 ‘with great sadness’

Afghanistan’s Rashid Khan spins the ball during a practice session on the eve of their 2023 ICC men’s cricket World Cup one-day international (ODI) match against Bangladesh at the Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association Stadium in Dharamsala on 6 October (AFP via Getty Images)

Afghanistan star Rashid Khan has said he will be donating his match fees from the ICC Cricket World Cup to help the victims of the catastrophic earthquake that struck his country over the weekend.

The powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook Herat in western Afghanistan, killing over 2,400 people, injuring over 2,000 and destroying at least 1,300 houses. It comes just 16 months after another major earthquake hit the country in June 2022 that led to 1,000 deaths.

Khan, who captains Afghanistan’s T20 side and is one of the most successful sporting figures from the country, has always been vocal about the welfare of his countrymen. He has now pledged to do his bit to help Afghanistan in its time of crisis.

Khan – currently in India for the Cricket World Cup – said on social media that he was “deeply saddened” by the devastation left in the wake of the earthquake and wanted to do his part to help the victims.

“I learned with great sadness about the tragic consequences of the earthquake that struck the western provinces (Herat, Farah, and Badghis) of Afghanistan,” he wrote on X/Twitter.

“I am donating all of my #CWC23 match fees to help the affected people. Soon, we will be launching a fundraising campaign to call upon those who can support the people in need,” he said.

The initial earthquake that struck Afghanistan on 7 October was followed by eight strong aftershocks, further exacerbating the damage. Rescue teams are in Herat province, where the quake’s epicentre was located, with relief material for survivors.

Afghanistan had kicked off their World Cup campaign on the same day as the earthquake, and had lost to Bangladesh. After being asked to bat first, the Hashmatullah Shahidi-led side managed just 156 runs before getting bowled out in 37.3 overs.

Opening batsman Rahmanullah Gurbaz scored the most runs for Afghanistan with a knock of 47 off 62 balls, while the side’s other batters weren’t able to go beyond 30 runs.

Khan, an all-rounder, managed to score just nine runs in 16 balls before being bowled by Bangladesh’s Mehidy Hasan. In the second innings, the leg spinner went wicketless in his spell of nine overs, leaking 48 runs.

Afghanistan’s next game in the 2023 World Cup is a big one as they will take on hosts India on 11 October at Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.