Afghanistan brings hopes of revival

Three-match series against Pakistan ‘A’ starts today in Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD:

Only a decade ago cricket did not officially exist in war-ravaged Afghanistan, but today the country takes another giant leap forward when they pad up for their first match on tour in Pakistan.

Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal hoped that his team’s tour to Pakistan would help the return of international cricket to the troubled country. The team becomes the first to visit Pakistan since March 2009 when militants attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team bus in Lahore, killing eight people and wounding seven players and their junior coach.

“I hope international cricket resumes in Pakistan,” said Mangal who led his team to fifth place in the 2011 World Cup qualifiers in 2009 which earned his team one-day international status. “I think security issues should not be related to cricket. Security is a problem everywhere in the world, so I think teams should come here and play.”

Mangal, who has played 16 one-day and eight Twenty20 matches for Afghanistan, said playing in Pakistan is a great challenge for his fast-rising team.

“It is an exciting challenge to play in Pakistan. Although we are not playing Pakistan’s senior team yet, this ‘A’ team also has six to seven international players. We are here to learn something and I hope we will learn. This Pakistan tour gives us a chance of exposing ourselves and I would request the ICC to give us more chances of playing full members because we can learn only by playing top teams.”

Cricket, a passion in the sub-continent, trickled slowly into Afghanistan, introduced by refugees who learned the game in camps in Pakistan after fleeing the 1979 Soviet invasion and returned home as devotees.

Colourful Afghan fast bowler Hamid Hasan likens the meteoric ascent to Hollywood rags-to-riches film Rocky starring Sylvester Stallone.

“I think that there is a similarity in the story of Rocky and the Afghanistan cricket team, we both started at the bottom and gradually made our way up,” said Hasan. “But this is the start, Afghanistan cricket is destined to go up and up.”

The hosts will be led by left-arm fast-bowler Sohail Tanvir who is hoping to make his way back into the national squad by performing well against the minnows.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 25^th, 2011.