Latif confident of bright Afghan future

Senior team coach impressed by under-19 team tour of Pakistan.

KARACHI: Afghanistan coach Rashid Latif said the future of cricket in the war-torn country was bright, citing progress shown by the under-19 team on their tour of Pakistan. The Afghanistan junior team was in Pakistan to prepare for a tournament in Bangkok next month that serves as the qualifying round for next year’s International Cricket Council (ICC) under-19 World Cup.

Latif said the team’s showing augured well for Afghanistan cricket. “I am very pleased with the progress shown by the Afghanistan juniors and it proves that the country has good back-up players and gives me confidence about their future in the game,” said Latif, coach of Afghanistan’s senior team.

The under-19 team will be pitted against Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Thailand and Oman in Group B in Bangkok.

Hong Kong, Qatar, Malaysia, Singapore and Bahrain are placed in Group A of the event, from which two teams will qualify for the under-19 World Cup.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 28^th, 2011.