"I saw him read Sachin Tendulkar's book" - Ajay Jadeja shares fascinating story about Ibrahim Zadran
Former India cricketer Ajay Jadeja served as Afghanistan cricket team's mentor at the recently concluded 2023 World Cup. The Afghans earned widespread praise for their impressive run at the event, beating heavyweights like England, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan.
Jadeja recalled how he once saw opening batter Ibrahim Zadran read Indian batting maestro Sachin Tendulkar's book. The former cricketer revealed that he promised the team that he would arrange a meeting with Tendulkar in Mumbai.
Speaking to Sports Tak, Jadeja said:
"Ibrahim Zadran is very different from other players in the Afghanistan team. He likes to read a lot. One day I saw him read Sachin Tendulkar's book. I told them that I would try to fix a meeting with Sachin Tendulkar when we reached Mumbai."
Notably, Sachin Tendulkar met the Afghanistan team and gave them a pep talk ahead of their encounter against eventual champions Australia in Mumbai.
Ajay Jadeja also reserved high praise for Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott. The former Indian cricketer said that Trott deserved a lot of credit for the side's inspired performances at the showpiece event. He added:
"There is a lot to learn from Jonathan Trott. He's a master in things like basics, discipline, timing, dedication, and process. He left playing cricket due to mental health issues, which not a lot of people speak about. However, look at him now; he has returned to the same sport and made a great comeback. He joined a team that not many big coaches would be willing to. Trott deserves a lot of credit for Afghanistan's success."
Afghanistan won four of their nine matches in the group stage of the ICC event and finished sixth in the points table.
"Afghanistan team is just like how the Pakistani team was at one point" - Ajay Jadeja
During the discussion, Ajay Jadeja also spoke about the environment in the Afghanistani dressing room. He claimed that the atmosphere was quite similar to Pakistan's old team, where anyone could say anything to each other.
Jadeja elaborated:
"The Afghanistan team is just like how the Pakistani team was at one point. The players can say anything to each other honestly without thinking twice."
Afghanistan will next be seen in action during a three-match T20I series against India in January. The opening encounter will take place in Mohali on January 11, 2024.