Hassan Eisakhil is the son of Afghanistan stalwart Mohammad Nabi. | Photo Credit: Shayan Acharya

There are certain surnames in cricket that arrive before the player does. For Hassan Eisakhil, that reality has existed for as long as he can remember.

The son of Afghanistan stalwart Mohammad Nabi, Hassan has grown up watching one of the pioneers of Afghan cricket build a legacy that stretches from the country’s earliest days on the international stage to its rise as a force in world cricket.

Now, father and son find themselves sharing a space that few cricketers ever get to experience. Nabi is still playing international cricket. Hassan is among the next generation pushing for opportunities. It is a rare overlap, one that naturally brings attention and invites comparison.

Yet when Hassan talks about his career, there is little sense of someone weighed down by expectation. “When I’m playing, I don’t think about being Mohammad Nabi’s son,” he tells  Sportstar. “I just focus on my game…”

The answer comes quickly and without much fuss.

Hassan, who is the opening batter for Afghanistan’s A-team, understands the significance of the surname he carries. Equally, he understands that professional cricket has always been a straightforward business. Whatever your background, performances remain the only thing that truly counts.

His journey has followed a familiar route for many young Afghan cricketers. Through domestic cricket, age-group structures and first-class competitions, he has gradually worked his way up, earning opportunities through consistency and performances.

In four First-class matches, he has scored 330 runs, and 498 in 12 List A fixtures. In 33 T20s, he has amassed 958 runs. “Whenever I wear the Afghanistan jersey, it is a proud feeling,” he says. “I started from domestic cricket, moved through different levels and worked my way up. The performances helped me get opportunities.”

The path, however, was not always mapped out.

ALSO READ: Anura Tennekoon’s advice to Sooryavanshi: Cut out the noise, focus on your game

For all the assumptions that come with being the son of an international cricketer, Hassan insists cricket was never something he was pushed towards. Growing up in Dubai, he spent much of his childhood playing tennis-ball cricket with friends, driven more by enjoyment than ambition.

“I started when I was around 10 years old. At that stage, I wasn’t thinking about playing international cricket. I was just playing because I loved the game,” he says.

That love gradually evolved into something more serious. Tennis-ball cricket gave way to hard-ball cricket and, with it, a growing commitment to the sport.

Interestingly, Nabi chose not to become an active coach during those formative years. For the first few seasons, Hassan was largely left to discover the game on his own.

“Initially, he didn’t teach me much,” Hassan recalls. “He wanted me to understand my own game. Later, he started helping me with batting, fitness and training.”

The approach appears to have left its mark.

There is an independence in the way Hassan talks about batting. Unlike players who grow up trying to replicate a parent or a childhood hero, he speaks more about finding his own method and understanding what works for him.

He is naturally aggressive, a batter who prefers to take the initiative rather than wait for the game to come to him. “My intent has always been positive,” he says. “If the ball is in my area, I want to play my shots.”

It is an approach that carries risk, but one he remains committed to even after setbacks.

At the same time, the influence of Nabi is never far away. If there is one lesson the veteran all-rounder continually reinforces, it is the importance of understanding the situation of the game.

“He always talks about the situation,” Hassan says. “What does the team need at that moment? If wickets have fallen, you have to stay calm and help the team. You can’t only think about yourself.”

The conversations continue whenever they find themselves in the same dressing room. On those occasions, the dynamic is less father and son and more senior professional and young cricketer.

“We talk about cricket situations. I ask him questions about different moments in the game and what I should do.”

Those discussions are rarely accompanied by lavish praise.

In fact, Hassan laughs when asked whether his father is generous with compliments. “He never really says ‘well played’,” he says with a smile. “He usually asks why I got out and tells me I could have scored more.”

The remark offers a glimpse into the standards that have defined Nabi’s own career. For Hassan, every innings tends to be viewed through the lens of what could have been done better rather than what has already been achieved.

Away from Afghanistan’s domestic circuit, exposure to franchise environments has also accelerated his development. Sharing dressing rooms with experienced professionals has offered valuable insight into the demands of elite cricket and the habits required to succeed.

“Every league teaches you something new,” he says. “But domestic cricket in Afghanistan is very competitive and that’s where I’ve learned a lot.”

Despite opportunities elsewhere, he remains appreciative of the system that has helped shape his game.

Afghanistan’s domestic structure has become increasingly competitive in recent years, and Hassan believes much of his education as a cricketer has come through those experiences.

Asked about players he enjoys watching, Hassan points to fellow Afghan opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, whose fearless approach has made him one of the country’s most exciting batters. “I like the way Gurbaz bats,” he says. “He inspires me.”

The admiration is understandable. Both players share a willingness to take the game on and trust their instincts.

For now, though, Hassan’s focus remains firmly on his own progression.

The surname will continue to attract attention. Comparisons will remain inevitable. Such realities are part of the territory when your father is one of Afghanistan’s most celebrated cricketers.

But Hassan appears comfortable with that.

He speaks less about legacy and more about preparation. Less about expectation and more about improvement. And perhaps that is why, despite the attention surrounding him, he comes across as a young cricketer determined to be judged on his own merits.

His ambitions are straightforward: to represent Afghanistan at the highest level. To win matches for his country. To perform on the biggest stages the sport has to offer. 

The journey is only beginning.

Published on Jun 16, 2026