Afghanistan Cricket - A romantic tale amid calamity, chaos and catastrophe - Part 1 - Opinion
There is the incidence of terrorism, there are horrendous suicide bombings, there is the clout of the Taliban, and then there is the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745 Cricket Team. In a nation which had been torn apart by war, crippled by extreme poverty and destroyed amid the
shockwaves of political strife, 11 proud men have stood up to give a glimmer of hope for a nation which has had a rather dismal profile.
The Afghanistan Cricket team, consisting of mostly ethnic Pashtun players, deeply religious, and unflustered by the negative stereotyping of their nation, have taken commendable strides in the sport of cricket over the past few years. Seldom has any associate
member nation with little or no cricketing heritage, been able to make such a huge impact on the game of cricket, as this Afghan side has done. The players, who hail from an array of different backgrounds, have put in performances which are astounding and
have contributed to the rise of a team, which is now one of the strongest associate member nations in the world today. The team was formed in 2001, and the next eleven years have witnessed talented youngsters gaining considerable success, which sadly, goes
unnoticed in consumerist times.
Their rapid rise in the World Cricket League in 2008 for example, marked the beginning of a spark that left most of their co teams, overawed and bamboozled. Afghanistan had a remarkable tournament, as they came ahead of sides such as http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Bahamas-c2846,
http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Usa-c759, which had already taken part in a Champions Trophy tournament in 2004. They eventually reached the final, against Jersey at St. Savior. Afghanistan’s physically fit bowlers ripped through their opponents and bowled
them out for just 80 in less than 40 overs amid wild celebrations from their fans. The jubilation was cut short as Afghanistan struggled in their chase and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jersey-c41001 managed to win a lot of hearts by restricting, their opponents to 8 for 62, until the total was
eventually overhauled. Despite the rocky nature of that performance, people began to take cricket in Afghanistan far more seriously, and there was a noticeable shift in interest on the streets of Kandahar, where playing football in patchy fields, made way
for tennis ball cricket amongst the youth.
Yet Afghanistan secured history only a couple of years later, when their eleven players sent a strong message to the world, that their triumph against Jersey in 2008 was no fluke. The http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 qualifier for the 2010 World T20 which was held in the Emirates saw
this side decimate the figures of some of the thriftiest of bowlers, and bat out of their skins to reach the final, which was against a powerful side. Their opponents were http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Ireland-c751, which gained notoriety for being ‘giant killers’. The team of primarily amateurs
had already immersed themselves in World Cup glory in 2007 by beating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 at Sabina Park. In light of this, the Afghans were clearly the underdogs, and amid mutterings of possibly failing, they secured history by beating the Irish comprehensively. Ireland’s
total of just 142 for 8 in 20 overs proved to be a formality for the Afghans in the end, as they chased the score in just 17.3 overs. The result meant that underdogs through the world rejoiced, and the streets in Kabul showed scenes of jubilation, which were
worth breaking a tear over, considering that the country has not had a lot to smile about.
Continued in Part 2...
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