Batting for Afghanistan

A cluster of his countrymen cheer from the stands as Afghan batsman Asghar Stanikzai lets loose a flurry of boundaries. This is just a practice match against a local team, but the fans cannot contain their excitement or adoration for their heroes. They cheer for every boundary hit. They even cheer for mishits. It's the nearest Asian cricketers will get to experiencing unconditional love from their fans.

Two young men in denims and T-shirts stand out in this little sea of Pathan suits. One holds a video camera and the other talks purposefully into his mobile phone at regular intervals. "This should give you an indication of how the game's popularity is growing in Afghanistan," says Bashir Stanikzai, development manager with the Afghan cricket board pointing to the two young men. "They are reporting back match updates to a television station in Nangrahar province. The RTA Nangarhar has a daily capsule following the team's progress, even at practice matches. Eight years ago, this was unthinkable."

And yet, today Afghanistan is the brightest spark in the International Cricket Council's (ICC) growing community They are among the quickest to make the grade from the fifth to first division in the World Cricket League. They are also the first ICC-affiliated nation to receive One-Day International (ODI) status. And on February 13, the team qualified to participate in the ICC Twenty20 World Cup in the West Indies after winning the ICC World Twenty20 qualifiers in Dubai.

Corner of foreign field

The Kacha Garhi refugee camp in Peshawar, Pakistan, was set up for Afghan refugees fleeing the Soviet invasion in 1980. At the peak of the war, it was home to more than 70,000 refugees and was only shut down in 2007. Most Afghans were initiated into the sport here and took the game back to Afghanistan when the Soviets left. The Taliban, which had banned all sporting activities in Afghanistan, initially allowed cricket to go on but eventually, the game was banned altogether.

"Things are different now. That's all in the past," smiles Stanikzai. He studied in Peshawar during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan and his marketing background helped promote the sport for close to five years before he took up his new job as the development manager of the cricket board. He says the game's popularity is growing each day. "Twenty-two provincial teams participated in a recent tournament in Jalalabad. The game's roots are spreading and now we are looking into building cricket academies in Jalalabad and Khost in addition to the one we have in Kabul."

We are interrupted by the arrival of Taj Malik Alam, the man who helped form the team in 2001. The jovial and proud Pashtoon has relentlessly championed the cause of Afghan cricket in the last decade. When I mention that I remember him from Out of the Ashes, a documentary film on the Afghan cricket team made by British journalist Tim Albone, his eyes light up. "Did you watch me go, ‘Bush! Bush!' at the American at Dubai Airport?" he laughs heartily. "Our cricket has generated a lot of interest among the world press. Finally, there's more news coming out of Afghanistan than just the war."

 Recognition of growth

The team's fortunes have mirrored their exploits on the field. The country's president Hamid Karzai is now the patron of the cricket board. Of the ten members in the Governing Council, three are cabinet ministers and six run prominent businesses. "So finally there's money coming into the board. Since June 2009, we've actually been paying the players a monthly salary. When they returned victorious from the ACC Twenty20 Cup, the president awarded each player 100,000 Afghani (about $2,000)," says Stanikzai.

The team's exploits haven't gone unnoticed. Huge posters of the team sit atop roundabouts in Kabul. On their triumphant return with the ACC Twenty20 trophy, the team was part of a 150km victory procession all the way from Kabul to Jalalabad.

Encouraged by the response, the cricket board is now mulling over the possibility of a Twenty20 League featuring the 22 provincial teams this summer. The top eight teams will qualify to play in the 50-over format, the next step in the evolution of Afghan cricket. The team is not without talent. Youngsters like Hameed Hassan and Mohammad Nabi Isakhail are bright young cricketers and have even played for renowned teams like the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) in England. Hassan hopes to play for county side Lancashire some day like his idol Andy Flintoff.

No one believes in their talent more than Kabeer Khan, the former Pakistani Test cricketer who now coaches Afghanistan. "They play with a lot of heart, they are uninhibited and fearless. They may not know the nuances and subtleties of the sport yet, but on the field, they give it all."

Khan is critical of the indifferent attitude that Test-playing nations like India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka have towards the fledgling side. "I only hope teams from the subcontinent would be a little more helpful to our cause. Countries like Namibia get a lot of help from South Africa. Yet Test nations in the subcontinent have done little to help Afghan cricket grow," says Khan.

"Imagine the exposure these young players would get if they were contracted to play for big domestic teams in the region," he adds. The team has in the past played in Pakistan's Quaid-e-Azam trophy.

So far, so good. Now what?

British filmmaker Timothy Albone, who directed Out of the Ashes thinks the team's story is inspirational. "Seeing where the team came from, a country ruined by war, with no facilities and no money it is unbelievable they are where they are today. The teams they are playing, and beating, have incredible facilities and are well backed financially. Until recently, the Afghan cricket federation had no money, the players played for free and the country only had one bowling machine. What they have achieved is truly amazing. The talent, drive and never-say-die attitude is inspiring," says Albone, who has also written a book about the team that will be launched in May.

Their fearless attitude to cricket may have brought them this far, but it will take more than just sheer gallantry to take them forward from here on. Though systems are being put in place and a structure for domestic cricket is being worked out, there are still issues that need to be sorted.

The most important of these is a shortage of turf wickets. The only existing one is at the National Cricket Academy in Kabul, next to the National stadium.

The weather in Kabul, which oscillates between being freezing cold in winter or hot and dusty the rest of year, is not exactly conducive to playing cricket. "The game has a considerable following in Jalalabad. And the weather also permits round-the-year cricket. So it would do them good to build infrastructure to promote the game there," says Khan.

The players make around $300 (about Dh1,100) a month, just enough to provide for their families. A majority of the players do not have day jobs, so Khan fears that it may not bode well with the community.

He says it is important that people see their cricketers living well. "If an Afghan father realises that his son has a future as a cricketer, he will obviously encourage him to go out and play. For a lot of Afghan kids, cricket could be their ticket to a better life in the future."

Taj Malik apparently travelled to Khost near the Pakistan border to convince present captain Nowroz Mangal's father to allow his son to join the national team.

While the rest of the cricketing world watches expectantly, Albone, who travelled to Dubai to watch Afghanistan play in the Twenty20 qualifiers, remains optimistic about the team's future.

"I think if the team stays united, keeps believing in themselves and keeps progressing the way they are, nothing can stop them. The team is getting better with each day. I am constantly amazed at how much they have improved and how well they do. There is no sports story quite like this; it really is a fairy tale."