Shining the Spotlight on - Afghanistan

Posted: Wednesday, 27 August 2014

Welcome to the first of an occasional eclectic look at cricket outside the normal parameters. In the first edition we shine the spotlight on the emergence of Afghanistan Cricket from virtually nowhere to play in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

With Afghanistan being based at the Bay Oval, on their pre CWC 2014 tour of New Zealand during September 2014, we decided to find out more about Afghanistan cricket.

Afghanistan earned a maiden berth in the 50-over World Cup to cap a remarkable rise, graduating from division five in the World Cricket League in 2008. Having learnt the game in refugee camps in Pakistan during the Soviet occupation of the 1980s, Afghanistan have played in two World Twenty20 competitions and have continued their remarkable progress to earn a berth in the CWC 2015.

Cricket was first played in Afghanistan during the 19th century Anglo-Afghan Wars, with British troops reported having played in Kabul in 1839. However, unlike many countries, no lasting cricket legacy was left by the British, and it would be more than a hundred years before cricket returned.
In the 1990s, cricket became popular amongst Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and the Afghanistan Cricket Federation was formed there in 1995. They continued to play cricket on their return to their home country in late 2001. Like all sports, cricket was originally banned by the Taliban, but it became an exception in 2000 and the Afghanistan Cricket Federation was elected as an affiliate member of the ICC the following year.
The Afghanistan national cricket team's 21-run win over Namibia in Krugersdorp earned them official One Day International status in April 2009. The team qualified for the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

An Afghan policeman watches over the crowd at a match between Tajikistan and Afghanistan's A Team in Jalalabad. Photo: Oculi
Coach Kabir Khan recently said that the team was well set for the World Cup."We had a good tour of Zimbabwe in July, where we showed a lot of resilience by squaring a four-match series 2-2 after losing the first two games, and that was remarkable," Khan said his players are excited at the prospect of touring the World Cup co-hosts. "We will be touring Australia and New Zealand from September 13 where we will play several matches against state sides and I am sure that will further mature the players for the World Cup," said Khan, who played four Tests and 10 one-day games for Pakistan in the 1990s.

Afghan cricketers training in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan. Photo: Oculi

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is the official governing body of the sport of cricket in Afghanistan. Its current headquarters is in Kabul, Afghanistan. The ACB is Afghanistan's representative at the International Cricket Council and is an affiliate member and has been a member of that body since 2001. It is also a member of the Asian Cricket Council.

Afghanistan's domestic structure consists of a 25-over Inter-Provincial Tournament, which has the participation of 22 provinces in the tournament. The aim of the tournament is to spread the game across the country and to generate a greater depth of talent for the national team to select from. A further aim of the tournament has been to remove the perception that the game was played almost exclusively by members of the Pashto tribe in the East of the country. The best players from the tournament would be selected players for Afghanistan-A and under-19 teams based on their performance and would be sent for training and coaching to Bangladesh. Afghanistan teams often visit Pakistan.

The Afghan national cricket team does not play its home matches inside Afghanistan due to the ongoing security situation and the lack of international standard facilities. Afghanistan played their 'home' Intercontinental Cup fixture against Ireland at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Sri Lanka. Following Afghanistan's World Twenty20 qualifying campaign they played two One Day Internationals against Canada at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in the UAE, after which the stadium was named the 'home' ground of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan Cricket Team Schedule at the Bay Oval, Mount Maunganui
30 September Arrive and train
2 October v Auckland
4 October v Auckland
(6 October Auckland v ND)
7 October v ND
9 October v ND

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