Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi expressed satisfaction with his team’s performance following their impressive 92-run victory over Bangladesh in the first ODI of the series. Shahidi highlighted the team's strong bowling display, particularly the young talents and mystery spinners, which he believes set them up well for the remaining matches in Sharjah.

“Quite happy about the performance. It was good and looking forward to the next two games,” Shahidi said. When asked if he felt the total of 236 was defendable, he confirmed his confidence, crediting teammate Mohammad Nabi’s positive outlook. "Honestly, yes. I was believing. He (Nabi) was really positive. Our discussion was that if we scored 220, it would be a good enough score. 236 was a good target here, and the bowlers then did their job (smiles)."

Shahidi reserved special praise for Afghanistan’s mystery spinners, who were instrumental in breaking Bangladesh's batting momentum. “The way the spinners bowled was brilliant,” he noted. In particular, he pointed to young AM Ghazanfar, who took a remarkable six wickets for just 26 runs. “He is a special talent. Good kid, good future for Afghanistan,” Shahidi remarked, adding that he fully trusts Ghazanfar, which is why he was given the opportunity to play. He recounted an amusing exchange after Ghazanfar’s initial no-ball: "After the no ball, I asked him what he was doing and asked him to not do it again (laughs)."

The captain also commented on Afghanistan’s overall depth, pointing out the team’s reliance on young players, particularly with top opener Ibrahim Zadran missing. “It is unfortunate that Ibrahim is not with us — he is our best player as an opener. Gurbaz was also injured (today) and hopefully he recovers (for the next game).”

With a strong win to start the series, Shahidi and his team are in high spirits heading into the second ODI, confident in their blend of experience and emerging talents.