| Series | Countries | Live Scores | Fixtures | Results | News |
Features
|
Photos | Video & Audio | Blogs | Statistics | Archive | Games | Mobile | ||||||||||||||||||
The story of Afghanistan cricket is absolutely amazing. It's got a book, a documentary, and is mentioned in almost every article about them. So much so that their cricket deeds are often an afterthought. That these cricketers come from a war torn country, that some were refugees, and that some have had to overcome amazing hardships is a phenomenal story.
Just to make it from the bottom of the Affiliates to the top is nothing short of inspirational. But they have, twice, and it's perhaps time we focus on what the men before us actually are. Cricketers.
When, on the eve of the World Twenty20, Hamid Hassan told ESPNcricinfo that he might not be able to play the tournament, he looked on the verge of tears. This was a man who had spent months and months in the gym at Lord's, sweating and working. Hassan did this because he is a cricketer, and he wanted to be the best cricketer he could be, overcome his injuries and play in this tournament.
This is a professional cricket side. They haven't been professional for long, but they haven't been picked off the street a week ago. They've been together as a unit for months; they were runners-up to Ireland in the qualifying tournament and then spent over a month in Dubai, simply preparing to play in this tournament.
They deserve to be spoken about as cricketers, not charming curiosities.
Shapoor Zadran started the England match with a wicket maiden. It wasn't charity because of his past, he just bowls really well at times. Even though the speed guns don't suggest great pace, he seems to hurry top class batsmen. And he virtually bowled Kieswetter off the face of the bat. Shapoor opened up with Dawlat Zadran; this double dose of Zadran is brilliant to behold. Both men are natural wicket-takers; they attack at will, leak runs, but also look like taking a wicket at any time. At times both got startling bounce and worried the England batsmen. Their keeper, Mohammad Shahzad, who's vertical leap is not as impressive as his stroke play, simply couldn't reach one ball.
Samiullah Shenwari is a legspinner with a stop-start jaunty action who mixes up his pace the way you have to in T20 if you don't want to end up bowling only one over a game. When he uses flight it's clever, his quicker ball skids on, and he can spin the ball. Karim Sadiq, their veteran allrounder, bowls much like David Hussey - less spin than fast balls off a few quick steps. When Sadiq was bowling with Shenwari, Afghanistan were holding on. England had scored only 84 runs in the first 12 overs, despite scoring 37 in the fifth and sixth over alone.
Then their fielding fell apart, and everything went with it.
It didn't fall apart, it shattered on the ground like a crystal vase spear chucked down from a third-story window. Once it goes bad, they're a team almost incapable of any defence. Giving away overthrows is almost a prerequisite for this team, even if there is little or no chance of a run out. Mohammad Shahzad seems to abuse a player every second over for not backing up a throw. Occasionally a ball will go straight through the hands or legs of an Afghanistan player, reminding you of how far they still have to go. Catches are at best a 50-50 proposition, and they even managed to step on the rope when taking a simple catch off a free hit.
These are proud men. This fielding would embarrass them; this fielding would embarrass a club side. Their bowlers would feel rightfully let down. They could, and should have done better.
They had a chance at redemption with their batting. They couldn't do it. Against India they refused to give up. Against England, they did it absolutely. Their batting plan is to hit the ball as hard and as often as they can. You can see them get the shakes when more than one dot ball occurs. It's going to work sometimes, and not work at others. For Gulbodin Naib it worked, for the others it did not. Maybe it was them playing their normal reckless game. Or maybe, to their credit, they realised that if you're chasing 197 and your team only likes to hit boundaries, you might as well encourage it. Even if it does end with you on 80, a loss is a loss.
Every team in this World Twenty20 has its own set of unique circumstances. Afghanistan is just another team. If we think of them as anything else, we're doing them a disservice as cricketers. I hope they left the field disappointed that they hadn't done their best. I hope their captain and coach abused them for their sloppiness in the field. I hope their batsmen were embarrassed, that they asked their analysts to burn the recordings; that bats were thrown, kits were kicked and tears were shed.
This is not what they came here to do. They've failed. They can do better. Now they need to use this failure, channel the embarrassment and make themselves into the cricketers that their talent deserves. That is what cricketers from all around the world strive to do.
They're cricketers with an amazing history that most of us will never be able to fully comprehend, but they're also just cricketers. They do warm-ups, drop catches and love to hit boundaries. They're probably just taking it one game at a time while trying to get some momentum. It's what cricketers do.
Jarrod Kimber is 50% of the Two Chucks, and the mind responsible for cricketwithballs.com
Feeds: Jarrod Kimber
© ESPN EMEA Ltd.
| ||||||
| Comments have now been closed for this article |
||||||
Feeds for all blogs
It is amazing to see the players from Afghanistan make it to this level of cricket they deserve a credit for that. Afghan players are raw talent and ICC should ask the other cricket playing nations in world to host them and so they can show case the talent and gain necessary expierence to improve the game. It always help improve game when you play against worthy opponent. There bowling is superb and they need to improve and this will only happen if they get a chance. If ICC wants to become as famous as soccer or other sports in the world they need to make cricket more accessible to nations as Afghanistan. In end I would like to congratulate the Afghan team for the valiant effort to make to the world stage twice, they should walk with pride that they represented there nation in the sport that is filled with superstars. In my mind they are superstars
Posted by Abdullah on (September 22, 2012, 14:54 GMT)Awesome article. i think the afghanistan team needs a motivational article like this as they are fighters. They never give up and work as hard as some of the mature teams out there. Inshallah in days to come they will do better. I am pakistani fan but my best wishes are with the afghan team. Also i love the fact that they speak pashto on the field. It reminds me of my days of cricket back in peshawar.
Posted by Hashmat Saadaat on (September 22, 2012, 14:21 GMT)i don't know why icc put them with strong teams in both 2010 and 2012 world t20.they are new in this field. icc should have put them with zimbabwe and bangladesh and west indies.Afghanistan deserves to play full members.icc should give them matches against full members otherwise they will lose the talent that they have right now...
Posted by Mohammad Tariq Omar on (September 22, 2012, 12:17 GMT)They are all proud Afghans, Well said "They play cricket like war" Do or Die. Culturally for them playing is winning and as said they think loss is loss no matter at what margin 1 run or 116 runs. They think a boundry in 4 balls is 4 runs but they don't think that 4 singles in 4 balls is a boundry too. anyways thank you very much for the best article, I hope my proud countrymen will work hard on thier weaknesses and ICC will further contribute them.
Posted by Navi Sidhu on (September 22, 2012, 12:14 GMT)It is amazing to see the players from Afghanistan make it to this level of cricket they deserve a credit for that. Afghan players are raw talent and ICC should ask the other cricket playing nations in world to host them and so they can show case the talent and gain necessary expierence to improve the game. It always help improve game when you play against worthy opponent. There bowling is superb and they need to improve and this will only happen if they get a chance. If ICC wants to become as famous as soccer or other sports in the world they need to make cricket more accessible to nations as Afghanistan. In end I would like to congratulate the Afghan team for the valiant effort to make to the world stage twice, they should walk with pride that they represented there nation in the sport that is filled with superstars. In my mind they are superstars
Posted by Mark Webb on (September 22, 2012, 12:13 GMT)This was the first time England had ever played against a team that has been at the forefront of the non-Test playing nations for over 2 years. Though your funding is appreciated ICC it is impossible for teams to progress without playing their peers. For Afghanistan and for Ireland it is the Test nations who are their true peers now.
Superb performance against India btw, best of luck Afghanistan you are a hugely talented unit.
Posted by uzair safi on (September 22, 2012, 12:12 GMT)Afghanistan is a good team however they need to use concentration and experience during batting and bowling to beat others internationals teams otherwise they will face with many loses. Afghanistan players are can hit and defense. they are not weak from others internationals players, just in one thing, all other internationals players use lots of think and experience during their play.
Posted by Safi on (September 22, 2012, 12:01 GMT)Well done Afghans... Don't worry for the loss.. As we all know England is world T20 champion. It is not easy to play with such team.. However afghan player has done the best job so far.. Specialy 3 huge sixs from Gulbadin Naib showed how classful batsman Afghanistan has. ICC should give them more oppurtunity and give them chances to have matches with teams like zimbwabe, Bangladish and Irland. Ther are so many Professional players inside Afghanistan, however we dont have proper domestic cricket or budget for that. Hope we have Afghan premier cricket league very soon.
Posted by david on (September 22, 2012, 11:57 GMT)If not for the woeful catching and excess of wides the Afghans would have won their match vs India. That was a good performance, but also says much about India's weakness. Against a top side like England they were totally out-classed. I hope Afghanistan continue their progress in cricket because cricket needs more international sides of quality.
Posted by Omid From USA on (September 22, 2012, 11:47 GMT)A lot of people are talking about Afghanistan team that they didn't play well and they lost to England and India.it is a game and Afghanistan is new to it Zimbabwe and Bangladesh are very old team in this game they lost their games too.
the point is Afghan Team need more time, more fund, more discipline and more ground and the after 3 or 5 year from now INSHALLAH Afghan Team will be a big team in the region.
If we can see the game between Afghan _ India Afghan Team started really well 22 for 2 in 4 over. Same thing if you see Afghan - England first over 0 - 1 out 4 over 15 runs. the problem is Afghan team doesn't have enough experience to keep the game under pressure so if they can play more games against like of England, India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and many more they will learn a lot and they will be able to face these team equally.