Afghanistan cricket struggling to rise “Out of the Ashes”- Part I
As the world’s greatest on field battle takes place in the land of down under, another land in south central Asia is completely oblivious to it. The battle is between England and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746, known as the Ashes; a game of Test cricket between the two countries.
The country ignorant to the game is Afghanistan. Well not so ignorant considering the fact that their country has bagged the first silver in cricket at the Asian Games 2010 which took place in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/China-c40996.
But this war-ravaged nation is still affected by the instability in the country due to which http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745 cricket’s progress gets hampered time and again.
However, the year 2010 would always be remembered as the year when the mighty Afghan men shunned hand grenades and kilashankofs to pick up wooden bats and tape balls. The cricket world’s highlight for this year sadly will be the spot fixing corruption but
a warm feeling comes when one knows about the fairytale run.
A wonderful documentary traces down the Afghan players with an amazing journey to the cricket’s World Twenty20 Cup. The documentary was aptly titled “Out of the Ashes” and the actors were the strong willed team from a war-torn country with half of the players
born in refugee camps.
The documentary makers were Tim Albone, Leslie Knott, and Lucy Martens who followed the team for the past two years to unveil the greatest story of the sport to the world. The documentary was premiered at the Edinburgh Film festival in end of June 2010 where
the documentary got huge accolades and praises.
The brains behind this project embarked on a journey of the team which saw them moving up the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) rankings. The trio was with the team throughout the odyssey that saw them travelling from the barren Kabul to a thousand miles
away town of Jersey, from there they went to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/South-Africa-c757, finally landing at the eastern Caribbean Sea in Saint Lucia.
The camera not only focuses on the player’s 'play' but cunningly features the raw emotions and psychological pressures that the individuals felt throughout the exhausting but exciting journey.
Of course, there is plenty of cricket and it is captured brilliantly especially the World Cricket League’s Division Five in which Afghanis have a politically charged encounter against the USA’s http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Jersey-c41001. The 10 minute scene showcases the agony that the team
feels as they chase 80 to win. The team collapses at 42 for the loss of seven wickets. The team players keep on insisting it is just cricket but the expressions show they are not taking cricket as just another game, they are seeking vengeance. The pain that
can be seen on the player’s faces is overshadowed by the ecstatic emotions as the batsmen register the win.
The happy, smiling faces leave the viewer a bit teary-eyed. You cry with them as some of the 'actors' recount their difficult childhood or when they remember how their loved ones died. You cheer with them when they reach a milestone in their careers and
they thank the Lord while dedicating the win to their country. You couldn’t help but smile when the players get into an argument when half of the team gets awed by the short skirts and fast life of the West whereas the other half feels strongly about their
faith.
The people living in the West and in the East, with all the facilities that are basic in this age(internet, satellite t.v, cell phones) might find it weird at times to imagine a country without technology.
This movie is an eye-opener in its true sense. The transformation, and at times, conflict of emotions, such as the look of horror on the team’s bilingual coach (who resigns due to emotional exhaustion) and his brother’s face when a group of scantily dressed
ladies and a flamenco dancer seduces the audience in Buenos Aires, gives the audience plenty to experience. The sight of pizza excites the players, the escalators scare them, the green pitches leave them astounded. The movie becomes believable with the simple
cast and their equally simple dialogues.
The message becomes clear: The war torn nation is united due to the game of cricket.
Tags: