Mohammad Nabi eyes CPL glory ahead of 2020

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The resumption of competitive cricket after four months in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic is a big relief for Afghanistan all-rounder Mohammad Nabi.

Nabi, 35, who plays for Caribbean Premier League (CPL) side, St Lucia Zouks is aiming to emerge the best player of the tournament to be in good form for the upcoming edition of the IPL in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

"It was very tough to keep in touch with cricket in the last four months because of lockdown. I did a bit of fitness at home; there was nothing more to do during this period. I missed my cricket a lot. It's good to play the CPL before the IPL. It's great preparation for me and a good performance in the CPL will be a big advantage to go in the IPL with," Nabi told mid-day from Trinidad.

Nabi, who plays for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL, reckons playing in UAE is an advantage despite hot weather conditions. "For me it's very good to play the IPL in UAE since I used to play in Dubai. Yes, we will [Sunrisers] will miss the home crowds a lot because without fan support, there is no fun in cricket," remarked Nabi.

Though Nabi's team lost their opening game against Jamaica Tallawahs by five wickets on Wednesday when off-spinner Nabi returned wicketless in his two overs and scored 13 runs off nine balls, he has set a big target for himself. "I will try to give my best with bat and ball. My specific target in CPL is to be adjudged the best player in the tournament," said Nabi, who has claimed 207 wickets and scored 4,162 runs in international cricket.

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