Afghanistan - Emerging Giants: The Inspiring Resurgence of Afghan Cricket

During the Taliban regime from 1996 to 2001, cricket in Afghanistan faced tough times. The strict rules made it hard for sports to thrive, and many athletes felt unsupported and afraid. Despite these challenges, cricket remained a hidden passion, played quietly in refugee camps and remote areas. This tough period showcased the resilience of Afghan cricketers, who kept the sport alive against all odds. Their determination during those difficult years laid the groundwork for cricket's growth in Afghanistan once the regime ended. They had limited facilities, resources & infrastructure to build their cricketing team, however stern determination of a few of the cricketers was unmatched & they were destined to play big boys soon.

Just imagine playing sports in refugee camps while under the strict rules of a regime that was against any sort of entertainment, let alone sports. However, cricket was nurtured once the Taliban regime was toppled for a few years between 2001 & 2021. This was the period when cricketers like Rashid Khan, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Naveen UL Haq, Zadran & many more were hardly born. They developed a passion for playing cricket on the streets of Kabul, Jalalabad, Khost, Baghlan & many other worn-torn towns in Afghanistan. It brought them joy & much-needed unity to show they were resilient by force & not by choice.

Now looking back at the hardships that these cricketers faced – there was a group of players who were just about in their teens when they finally got a chance to prove their mettle. Seniors like Nabi, Naib, Mangal – their first captain, & Shinwari came to the shores of South Africa in 2009 in a quest to qualify for the 2011 World Cup in the sub-continent. They didn’t fair well in that ICC trophy, however had a start. During the early 2010s Afghanistan was competing with other minnow nations like the Netherlands, Ireland, Kenya & Scotland, but little we knew then that coming to the 3rd decade of this century, they will be a permanent name in all the ICC trophies.

This has been a meteoric rise of a national cricket team that came up with the goods at the most adverse & toughest periods in the history of their country. How can someone not like Rashid Khan, he is phenomenal, I don’t think there is hardly any other player in the world who plays leagues all around the globe. He is a lovable character who always wears a smile on his face & a fierce competitor. Now, at just 25, he is captaining Afghanistan at the 2024 T20 World Cup.

How I wish that Afghanistan first qualified for the semis & then toppled South Africa to reach the finals. We will find out that very soon.

If it can be an India – Afghanistan final, I won’t mind even India losing it. But beating a strong Australian team in the Super 8’s has already buried the ghosts of ICC ODI WC 2023 when Afghanistan & Australia met at Wankhede & it took 1 man a sensational innings to get Australia out of the hole. But it doesn’t happen every day. Afghanistan was meant to win the other day & complete the exorcism. If people call it an upset, it won’t be fair to Afghanistan. They deserved to win.

 

-         - Madhur Kapoor (Cricket Enthusiast)

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