Afghanistan eager to play against Australia – Cricket News Update
The significance of the chance to play against Australia, the ICC’s top-ranked ODI team, is not lost on Afghanistan, and according to Afghanistan Cricket Board Chief http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Hamid-c61327 Shinwari, both team and players are anxiously awaiting the match.
“The value of the match in terms of increased experience as well as confidence and skill building will be immeasurable,” Shinwari said. “Our players and supporters greatly admire and love cricketers from Australia, and the opportunity to play them has created
widespread interest and excitement.”
Counted among the ICC’s top Associate/Affiliate Member teams, the Afghanistan team has impressed the cricketing world with their steady rise, despite the national problems in the country. They have won more than half the games they have played so far, defeating
teams like http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Canada-c748.
The Afghan team also has ODI status which is valid until 2013, despite the fact that they did not qualify for the 2011 ICC World Cup. They have, however, qualified for the ICC World T20, scheduled to take place in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Sri-Lanka-c758 this September, having won 8 of
the 9 matches they played during the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifiers, losing only the final to http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745 will also be featuring in the Under-19 World Cup in Australia this August.
Afghanistan got a much-deserved chance to play their first ODI against an http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625 Full Member team earlier this year, when they faced off against Pakistan at Sharjah in February this year – a match they eventually lost by 7 wickets. However, the development
of cricket in the country is considered a worthy cause, and the next team to show their support for cricket in Afghanistan is Australia.
The upcoming only ODI against http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755, marks the team’s second match against an ICC Full Member – an opportunity for which they are
understandably excited.
The move has been praised by ICC president http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Alan-Raymond-Isaac-c42771, as well as the vice chairman of Sharjah Cricket Club (SCC), Waleed Bukhatir.
“Afghanistan has a national team that is definitely on the rise. I think it's the responsibility of every cricket-loving country to develop the game and to reach out to a country in need,” said Bukhatir. “We [the SCC] hope Afghanistan's matches against top
teams in the world will go a long way in honing their competitive edge.”
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