Cricket has been popular in Afghanistan since Afghan refugees in neighbouring Pakistan - a country in which cricket is the national sport - watched the game then, when they returned to Afghanistan following the fall of the Taliban regime, brought back the game with them.
In neighbouring countries, such as Pakistan and India, cricket is huge, almost like a religion, and it could go that way in Afghanistan.
There are cricket leagues across 16 of Afghanistan's 21 provinces (one of the teams is a British military team), and almost all of the players are Afghan except those from the British military cricket team. The British embassy, and several English teams, donated kit to the Afghans and the English Cricket board has donated six cricket sets now in use in Kabul.
Now, Afghanistan even has its own cricket team, and it is desparate to play against the like of England, Australia, India, Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Cricket is helping provide hope in war-torn Afghanistan. Allah Dad Noori, the founder of the Afghanistan Cricket Federation, was playing one day in Kabul when a young man walked by carrying an AK47, watched for a while before being invited to join in. Afterwards, he asked if he could play next time. When he returned he was without the rifle. “Where’s your AK47?” asked Noori. “Oh, I don’t need that,” the youth replied. “I’m playing cricket!” The aim of the ACF is to get all the men of Afghanistan to choose cricket instead of guns.
Driving forward ... Afghanistan batsman
Afghans up for innings battle
10 May 2008
The Sun
It’s a bit of a dive ... The Afghanistan cricket team has poor training facilities
AFGHANISTAN is ready to go to war with England — on the cricket field.
The Afghan team hope to make it to the 2011 Cricket World Cup to play Freddie Flintoff and Co.
But their qualifying campaign has seen coach Taj Malik THREATENED by a suicide bomber for dropping a player, and a star bowler SHOT in the chest.
Sticky wicket ... The Afghanistan cricket team hope to play in the 2011 Cricket World Cup
Taj, 32, said: "This is do or die." A documentary on the team is being filmed. For information visit www.outoftheashes.tv
thesun.co.uk
CRICKET IN AFGHANISTAN
The boom in Afghan cricket – which began when the first refugees returned from their camps in Pakistan after the fall of the Taliban government – continued in 2003. There are now more than 2,500 players and leagues spread across 16 of the country’s 21 provinces. Nearly all the players are Afghan with almost no expat participation except from the British forces team. The British Embassy, with support from several counties and sponsors, handed over a large quantity of kit, and the ECB donated six Kwik cricket sets which are now used on a regular basis in schools in Kabul. A new limited-over contest, the Olympia Lube Oil tournament, was held in May. It featured the first use of coloured clothing and white balls in Afghanistan: Khost beat 13 other teams to win a hard-fought competition. And in June, Afghanistan were made Associate Members of the Asia Cricket Council. The senior Afghan squad made several visits to Pakistan during the year, with mixed but encouraging results. Afghan government support for the development of cricket continues at all levels, and the president’s advisor on tribal affairs, Shah Zada Masood, was elected as president of the cricket federation. Problems remain: for instance, Khost, near the Pakistan border, is a very keen cricketing province but is still troubled by fighting between Al-Qaeda and Coalition forces. However, cricket is helping provide hope in Afghanistan. Allah Dad Noori, the founder of the Afghanistan Cricket Federation, was playing one day in Kabul when a young man walked by carrying an AK47, watched for a while before being invited to join in. Afterwards, he asked if he could play next time. When he returned he was without the rifle. “Where’s your AK47?” asked Noori. “Oh, I don’t need that,” the youth replied. “I’m playing cricket!” The aim of the ACF is to get all the men of Afghanistan to choose cricket instead of guns.
cricinfo.com
In neighbouring countries, such as Pakistan and India, cricket is huge, almost like a religion, and it could go that way in Afghanistan.
There are cricket leagues across 16 of Afghanistan's 21 provinces (one of the teams is a British military team), and almost all of the players are Afghan except those from the British military cricket team. The British embassy, and several English teams, donated kit to the Afghans and the English Cricket board has donated six cricket sets now in use in Kabul.
Now, Afghanistan even has its own cricket team, and it is desparate to play against the like of England, Australia, India, Pakistan, West Indies and Sri Lanka in the 2011 Cricket World Cup.
Cricket is helping provide hope in war-torn Afghanistan. Allah Dad Noori, the founder of the Afghanistan Cricket Federation, was playing one day in Kabul when a young man walked by carrying an AK47, watched for a while before being invited to join in. Afterwards, he asked if he could play next time. When he returned he was without the rifle. “Where’s your AK47?” asked Noori. “Oh, I don’t need that,” the youth replied. “I’m playing cricket!” The aim of the ACF is to get all the men of Afghanistan to choose cricket instead of guns.
Driving forward ... Afghanistan batsman
Afghans up for innings battle
10 May 2008
The Sun
It’s a bit of a dive ... The Afghanistan cricket team has poor training facilities
AFGHANISTAN is ready to go to war with England — on the cricket field.
The Afghan team hope to make it to the 2011 Cricket World Cup to play Freddie Flintoff and Co.
But their qualifying campaign has seen coach Taj Malik THREATENED by a suicide bomber for dropping a player, and a star bowler SHOT in the chest.
Sticky wicket ... The Afghanistan cricket team hope to play in the 2011 Cricket World Cup
Taj, 32, said: "This is do or die." A documentary on the team is being filmed. For information visit www.outoftheashes.tv
thesun.co.uk
CRICKET IN AFGHANISTAN
The boom in Afghan cricket – which began when the first refugees returned from their camps in Pakistan after the fall of the Taliban government – continued in 2003. There are now more than 2,500 players and leagues spread across 16 of the country’s 21 provinces. Nearly all the players are Afghan with almost no expat participation except from the British forces team. The British Embassy, with support from several counties and sponsors, handed over a large quantity of kit, and the ECB donated six Kwik cricket sets which are now used on a regular basis in schools in Kabul. A new limited-over contest, the Olympia Lube Oil tournament, was held in May. It featured the first use of coloured clothing and white balls in Afghanistan: Khost beat 13 other teams to win a hard-fought competition. And in June, Afghanistan were made Associate Members of the Asia Cricket Council. The senior Afghan squad made several visits to Pakistan during the year, with mixed but encouraging results. Afghan government support for the development of cricket continues at all levels, and the president’s advisor on tribal affairs, Shah Zada Masood, was elected as president of the cricket federation. Problems remain: for instance, Khost, near the Pakistan border, is a very keen cricketing province but is still troubled by fighting between Al-Qaeda and Coalition forces. However, cricket is helping provide hope in Afghanistan. Allah Dad Noori, the founder of the Afghanistan Cricket Federation, was playing one day in Kabul when a young man walked by carrying an AK47, watched for a while before being invited to join in. Afterwards, he asked if he could play next time. When he returned he was without the rifle. “Where’s your AK47?” asked Noori. “Oh, I don’t need that,” the youth replied. “I’m playing cricket!” The aim of the ACF is to get all the men of Afghanistan to choose cricket instead of guns.
cricinfo.com
