After a breakthrough performance in the 50-over tournament, a young Afghan team with an average age of only 25 has promised to offer viewers back home unusual cause for celebration at the T20 World Cup.
After making history at the 50-over showpiece, a youthful Afghan team, with an average age of just 25, has promised to offer fans back home a rare reason to celebrate at the T20 World Cup. When Afghanistan celebrated their incredible eight-wicket victory against Pakistan in the ODI World Cup in October, the skies over Kabul were lit up with fireworks. They came in sixth place, ahead of the reigning champions England, whom they also defeated, raising expectations for the T20 competition that gets underway in the US and the West Indies on Saturday.
Sediqullah Atal, 22, said over the phone to AFP from their training camp in the West Indies, “In the past when we would defeat a bigger team, our victory was tagged as a ‘upset’.”
The left-handed opening batsman insisted that his squad is “no less than anyone” and that “the word ‘upset’ is no longer in the dictionary” since they are considered among the favorites.
Even though Afghanistan has experienced decades of conflict, the nation’s love of cricket has endured.
“It is an incredible feeling of joy to be motivated by 40 million people,” stated Nangeyalia Kharote, an all-around player who is 20 years old.
He told AFP in Kabul before leaving for the Caribbean that it’s “a matter of great joy” to serve his nation, but they now need to “match the high expectations” of supporters.
Sediqullah Atal continued, “The love from the Afghans both at home and abroad is remarkable.”
The Taliban administration in Afghanistan, which drove the US and its allies out of the nation before taking control in 2021, fully supports the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), which oversees the men’s team.
Under their strict interpretation of Islam, the Taliban rulers—who have not yet been acknowledged by any nation—have essentially prohibited women from participating in sports.
Due to Afghanistan’s circumvention of the International Cricket Council’s regulations, which mandate that every Test-playing nation have a women’s team, their World Cup participation has generated some criticism.
Afghanistan has been permitted to compete in prior instances because the International Cricket Council (ICC) declared the issue to be “pending”; yet, England and Australia have declined to play them beyond the World Cup.
Afghan cricket has grown stronger thanks to new academies, sponsorship agreements, and tournament funding, despite decades of conflict and poverty.
They will play Uganda in Guyana on June 4th in the 2024 World Cup.
Cricket fan Afzal Khan, who practices at the Rashid Khan Cricket Academy in Kabul, told AFP, “Our team has arrived and are playing at a very high level in a short space of time.”
“They are our heroes, they will have a place in my heart forever,” stated the 19-year-old, who aspires to succeed Rashid Khan, the outstanding spinner and captain of Afghanistan.
“They have struggled through lots of difficulties to bring the team and our cricket to this level.”
Khan made the following promise in an interview that the ACB released last week: “We will shine well in this World Cup too, and match the expectations of our compatriots.”
Another young cricket player in training back home in Kabul made those expectations quite apparent. “This will be the best World Cup for Afghanistan,” Naseem Khan told AFP.
