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Afghan star spinner Rashid Khan is likely to miss Test cricket after being warned by a medical professional about the damage he could be causing to his back. It's the leg-spinner who has become one of the biggest names in world cricket, who has decided that he must weigh up the future in red ball cricket.

Rashid underwent significant lower back surgery in the United Kingdom last year and decided to have his issues dealt with after continuing to play through pain during the ODI World Cup in India. He has since returned to the T20 format for 2024, but his body simply hasn't handled the pressure and strain of the longer form of the game.

It's clear what the doctor told Rashid in regard to red ball cricket, Rashid said:

“Red-ball cricket is a little difficult because that was the first thing my doctor told me, ‘stay away from red-ball cricket’."

Rashid still decided to play a Test match after his surgery, playing in a match against Zimbabwe where he bowled an astounding 67 overs and his doctor was baffled by his decision:

“I still went ahead and played. After the surgery, I played a game against Zimbabwe and bowled 67 overs, which was crazy. The doctor told me, ‘if you don’t want to play cricket, you can keep playing red-ball cricket’. He said it’s not going to help me and that I won’t be able to play for long."

He added:

“I still went ahead and played, but when he found out I had bowled 67 overs across two innings, he was shocked. He said, ‘you can’t do that to yourself."

The star spinner admits that he bowled 126 overs across his final two Test matches and it's simply too much for his body.

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He has not fully retired from red ball cricket as of yet, but he has made it quite clear that it will be difficult for him to play multiple Test matches in one year.

The Afghan spinner said:

“Red-ball cricket is something that looks a bit difficult for me. If it’s one Test a year, I will take that, but I don’t think I can manage more than that. I will try, but if I bowl a spell of 20–25 overs, I have to bowl the whole day if I’m in the team."

The Afghanistan team will take on India in a Test match in June and Rashid will almost certainly be absent, and will be playing ODIs instead. He has openly shared what he hopes will be his main target moving forward:

The spin sensation stated:

“ODI cricket, I really enjoy that format. I am in good shape to play ODIs for a longer period for Afghanistan. However, I want to be careful about how much I play and not put too much load on myself if I want to have a longer career."

With the next Cricket World Cup not scheduled until 2027, Rashid is prioritising his fitness and Afghanistan keeping the services of their premier bowler for a World Cup would now seem more important than him playing a Test match.