Afghanistan cricket gives country beacon of hope

by David Arnold

When a 21,000-strong army of British and Indian troops led by Sir John Keane marched into Afghanistan in 1838 they brought with them playing cards, polo mallets and bottles filled to the brim of whiskey and rum. If nothing else, these inflictions would only help in creating a society of maverick gamblers, public schoolboy toffs and no-good pillaging pirates. Not a fantastic model as far as building a cultural identity goes but we also brought with us something else – the great game of cricket.

Over 170 years later and the world’s most civilised sport has returned here, to one of the most volatile and unruly places in the world. The national team are flying high, with qualification to the World Twenty20 secure and leading the table in the Intercontinental Cup – they have been transformed into one of the world’s strongest associate nations.

Their latest victory came against Canada and it was a stunning one at that. With a final day total of 494 for the Afghans to reach, that they would even be in a position to draw the match seemed unlikely. But star-in-the-making, 18-year-old Shahzad shared two century stands, first with Captain Nowroz Mangal and then Mohammad Nabi, to set up and all-but seal the victory which came with 2.2 overs to spare. Beating Canada by six wickets, they also achieved the ninth-highest fourth-innings run-chase in first class history.

So, have they peaked already? I seem to remember Nepal being in a similar position some years ago, only to quickly fade back into cricketing obscurity. It might be compared to watching a British figure skater at the Olympics – you can’t help wondering when they’re going to fall flat on their backsides.

Let’s hope, however, that this will not happen.

If Afghanistan is a country filled with gloom, its cricket team is a ray of light in the disappearing darkness.

During its occupation of Afghanistan, the Taliban regime had banned cricket along with all other sports. Only in neighbouring Pakistan could Afghan cricketers exercise their desire to study the game, as well as to showcase their flair for it on the field. Since the fall of the Taliban in 2001 and like a breath of fresh air, Afghan cricketers have stepped up to the mark of golden boys in the cricketing world, turning heads along the way.

In scenes reminiscent of the Beatles stepping off the plane to a rapturous ovation, the Afghanistan team returned home to be greeted by a large crowd of supporters at Kabul's airport waving the national flag and singing patriotic songs. When did the English national cricket team last receive a reception like this after returning home from a tour? If nothing else, it shows that even though the home of cricket may lie here, the heart might be found in a small landlocked country, far away in the Middle East.