Quote:There are things you just don't expect. No one would be surprised to hear of great long-distance runners coming out of Kenya. The African nation has produced a long line of long-distance runners. But if news of one coming out of somewhere like Chile, for instance, a country with no long-distance running tradition, then one couldn't help being even slightly alarmed.

Or say you heard that the world's best footballer was from San Marino? No one would have batted an eye if he was from Brazil or Argentina or even England. But San Marino? A nation regularly ranked close to the bottom of the FIFA rankings; one that never ever came close to qualifying for the World Cup?

In spite of their recent strides, Afghanistan is considered a minnow in the cricket world. They don't have a history of great accomplishment in the sport; they have not yet achieved Test status. Despite completing ODI wins over the West Indies and Bangladesh in the past few years, their record against the top-ranked teams has been predictably poor. So how did they end up with the best leg spinner in the game? Could Afghanistan leg spinner Rashid Khan really be one of the best?

That, at least, is what their coach, former West Indian player, Phil Simmons believes. "He's the best spinner I've worked with no doubt about that," Simmons told The Cricket paper. "He might not be the best I've ever seen because I played against the likes of Abdul Qadir and Shane Warne, but he's up there with anyone at the moment."