Afghan cricketers prepare for World Cup accolade

Coach Rashid Latif warns minnows to stay focused on long-term development

KARACHI: The story of Afghanistan's rise in cricket has been nothing short of a fairytale, but the real work will begin only after their debut in next year's World Cup, according to Rashid Latif, the former Pakistan captain who is a coach with the Afghan team.

Latif had been charged with helping the Afghans prepare for the tournament at a training camp in Karachi, a role he is reprising after previously leading the team to a silver medal in the 2010 Asian Games.

Afghanistan's rapid ascent from the fifth division of world cricket in 2008 to qualifying for next year's showpiece event in Australia and New Zealand has been hailed as one of the sport's biggest success stories.

But Latif warns the team needs to stay focused on their long-term development in order to avoid the fate of other up-and-comers before them.

"I don't want them to go down after ascending, like Kenya," said Latif of a nation which reached the semi-final of the 2003 World Cup but later fell away, even losing its right to play ODIs.

"I hope the World Cup is not a make-or-break for Afghanistan," said the former wicketkeeper. "Their real cricket will start after the World Cup."

For team manager Shafiq Stanikzai, cricket is an important unifier for Afghanistan that cuts across divides in a country long riven by ethnic rivalries and still struggling to bring peace after decades of war.

"Cricket is responsible for bringing the youngsters towards sport and sport means peace — and that's what the bigger picture is," said Stanikzai.

Regular coach Kabir Khan, an ethnic Pashtun who played four Tests and 10 ODIs for Pakistan in the 1990s, said recent achievements showed the country's potential and success in one sport had a ripple effect.

"I will say that cricket is responsible for all this, if one sport is doing well the others follow," said Kabir.