Afghanistan cricket team can no longer be called as ‘minnows’ of the game, as they have proved this fact in no small measure when they defeated the mighty England in a resounding manner in the ongoing ODI world cup. With their brand of attacking cricket, Afghanistan has proved that they are no pushovers in the shorter versions of the game.
For a country sharply divided along ethnic lines, Afghanistan cricket team has been a unifier. It has lived up to the flattery, taking giant strides in the game since 2008. Ironically, in a sense, war in Afghanistan has contributed to the rise of cricket there. Forced out of homes, players of the likes of Mohammad Nabi and former captain Nowraz Mangal had honed their skills at refugee camps across the border in Peshawar. In fact, many of the Afghan players grew up in these camps, and some of them couldn’t even make ends meet and didn’t know whether there would be a tomorrow for them. The team of Afghan players was named as “Team of chickens”, as many were trying to survive by supplying poultry in Peshawar. They had nothing, but an unflinching desire and a common will to see Afghanistan play cricket on the world stage. And today, the team’s rapid rise in international cricket, especially in white ball cricket, has been staggering indeed. For a war-torn nation, which hardly celebrates and smiles, its national cricketers are determined to bring some cheers, and they have been doing so constantly now.
Ranganathan Sivakumar
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