Afghan cricket team aims for world cup glory
Tim Albone in Kabul
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/spo...cle3904526.ece
Taj Malik has more to worry about than rain stopping play or the wicket his team will have to bat on.
The charismatic coach of the Afghan cricket team has been threatened by a suicide bomber for not picking a particular player, while his brother and one of his star bowlers bear the scars of bullet wounds from years of war.
But Mr Malik, 32, and his players say that nothing will stop them achieving their dream of getting to the Cricket World Cup in 2011.
The first step on the long journey begins at the end of this month, when they travel from the battle-scarred streets of Kabul to the Channel Islands. There they face such cricketing titans as Singapore, the Bahamas, Botswana, Japan and Jersey in their attempt to progress to the next qualifying stage.
“This is do or die ... I will throw myself in the Atlantic if we lose,” said Mr Malik.
But the most mouthwatering match for the Afghans is a potential knockout meeting with the United States. “Pray we beat them,” Hameed Hassan, 20, who bowls at nearly 90mph, said. “Most of the Afghans are eager to hear we beat the United States.” Hasti Gul, 24, a talented bowler and brother of the coach, is bullish about their chances.
“Inshallah [God willing] we will win. We have no weakness in our team, our bowling, batting and fielding are all good. We will win the tournament and bring the cup to Afghanistan.” Perhaps surprisingly given the wealth of spin talent in neighbouring Pakistan, the Afghans have little time for the tweakers and turners of the game. “Afghans like to bowl fast,” Mr Malik said. “They don't think spin bowling is attacking enough.” Indeed, he added, much of the warlike character of the Afghans is present in the way they play cricket. “Every game is like a battle for us; every game is a fight.”
Victory in Jersey, where most experts agree Afghanistan are favourites, would not lead straight to the World Cup. The team would still have to compete in - and finish in the top two of - tournaments in Tanzania and Argentina, and then finish in the top six in a tournament in the United Arab Emirates.
“If we lose, most of our team members will leave cricket forever; this is our only chance,” Mr Gul said. Bashir Stankzai, the assistant manager of the team, agreed: “If we don't get there we have no future.”
Afghanistan has had an international team only since the Taleban were ousted in 2001 but the potential is amazing. In 2006 the Afghans beat the MCC by 202 runs, getting the former England captain Mike Gatting out for a duck. Hamed Hassan, their fastest bowler, and team-mate Mohammed Nabi, 24, were recruited later by the MCC for several matches.
** Tim Albone is filming a documentary on the Afghan cricket team. Visit outoftheashes.tv for more information