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Nawroz Mangal
'Even those who don't understand cricket pray for our success'
Afghanistan's captain is happy to be back in charge and leading the team to one- and four-day wins in Canada
Faraz Sarwat
August 26, 2011
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Have you achieved the goals you set for the tour of Canada?
Yes. We were very focused coming to Canada. We're the Intercontinental Cup champions and intent on always playing like champions and remaining champions. We did that in Canada.
Playing a team like Canada is of great benefit to us. Everyone knows Canada has just played in the World Cup, and now we have beaten them. I only learned after arriving here that cricket is actually a very old sport in Canada and has been played for years. It is therefore a great achievement for us to come here and win the Intercontinental Cup match and the ODI series. This raises the profile of Afghanistan cricket.
Afghanistan does very well in four-day matches, often winning games comprehensively. What do you think is the reason for this?
I'm glad you've said this because people always said we were just a Twenty20 team, but we do perform well in four-day matches. The reason is that our players are always enthusiastic about playing cricket. We want to be on the field, and because of that enthusiasm, our temperament and our confidence, we do well. Whatever cricket we get to play, we are grateful for it.
Many members of your team have experience of playing first-class cricket in Pakistan. Does that also contribute to your performances in four-day matches?
Absolutely. As I said, we're always eager to play, and the experience of playing in Pakistan or for other clubs is very important.
Who were your cricketing heroes growing up?
As a refugee in Pakistan, I took up playing cricket after Imran Khan won the World Cup for Pakistan in 1992. I loved Wasim Akram. I really enjoyed the way he played the game, whether he was bowling or batting - he was a hero of mine. When I actually started playing cricket seriously as a batsman, Sachin Tendulkar became my hero. I would carefully watch how he batted and learn from that.
Do people in Afghanistan who have not been to Pakistan know what cricket is and do they care about the team?
When we went back to Afghanistan from Pakistan and played cricket, the local people did not like it and did not understand what we were doing. They actually disapproved. But when we started to win matches overseas and progressed through the ICC divisions, they started to take notice and care. They began to feel pride in our success. Now the name of each player is known in every street and alleyway of Afghanistan. And as players we want nothing more than to be successful for our country. Cricket is so popular now that people feel proud naming their babies "Karim Sadiq" or after some other Afghan player. People stay up all night listening to our matches on the radio. Even people who don't understand cricket pray for our success.
Your generation came through having learned and played cricket in Pakistan. How do you think the future is for the next generation of Afghan cricketers, who may not have a similar experience?
The future of Afghanistan cricket is bright. Our junior team and A team are always improving. Our Under-19 team has just qualified for the World Cup in Australia, and that tells you that we have talent coming up. Once we have a proper cricket ground in Afghanistan there will be even more progress.
All of Afghanistan's ODI cricket has been against Associate teams. Do you feel you're ready to take on the full-members in ODIs?
Yes, for sure. But the more experience we gain, the better we'll play.
Afghanistan has had something of a dream run in cricket, so in that context, was the 3-0 loss to Pakistan A earlier this year an eye-opener?
Yes. But that Pakistan A team was very strong. They had picked the best performers from Pakistan domestic cricket for that series and they played as well as the Pakistan national team. We hadn't played any ODIs in seven to eight months and were rusty in the first two games. We did better in the third game, but what we learned from that series is that we had to improve our fitness levels.
You gave up the captaincy for a while. What was the reason for that and the reason for becoming captain again?
The cricket board had chosen a new captain because they thought there was a lot of pressure on me, but they decided to reappoint me because of all my experience as the leader. They understand that I know the players very well and that's good for the team. I am grateful for the confidence that the board has shown in me.
You've been Afghanistan's captain for most of the team's remarkable rise. How was the experience of not being captain for a while?
I was very relaxed and happy to just be in the team as a player. There was nothing to focus on but my own game. Once I was captain again I started thinking about the Canada tour and preparations for the team. On the field the captain is always switched on and thinking about things. I like that too.
Faraz Sarwat is the cricket columnist for the Toronto Star and the author of The Cricket World Cup: History, Highlights, Facts and Figures
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Great performances from all of you Nawroz bro, keep it up.
Posted byNowroza keep it Up dudE!!! All da best n da FUTURE... Da FutUrE zz ßriGht...Go ON... Þroud to ß an AFGHAN!!
Posted by rohanblue on (August 27, 2011, 12:19 GMT)BCCI should help afghanisthan, this guys r awesome, love and respect frm india, afghans u rock
Posted by sweetspot on (August 27, 2011, 7:36 GMT)Afghanistan is the best story in cricket right now! I can't wait to see the Afghans play some scintillating cricket. Everytime this team is on TV I watch. Great energy! This team is crying for experience. Let's hope ICC takes notice. One more Asian team is fantastic news! Go Afghanistan! Cheers from India!
Posted by alexbraae on (August 27, 2011, 3:33 GMT)Ireland, Afghanistan and Zimbabwe should start playing regular 'tests' against each other, moving up to play Bangladesh, New Zealand and WI within the decade. Give them the right to earn their way up the test ladder.
Posted by Gizza on (August 26, 2011, 23:32 GMT)Great stuff. I always felt that cricket can easily expand and grow around the world. There are so many natural points of growth. No, it can't grow anywhere especially where there is no cricket connection, culture or geographic neighbours, which means growing the game in the US, China and mainland Europe is very difficult if not impossible. But that's not the point. Developing the game further in the subcontinent (Afghanistan, Nepal, Bhutan), Oceania (Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Samoa), the British Isles (Ireland, Scotland), the Caribbean (Bahamas, Bermuda), and Southen/Eastern Africa (Kenya, Uganda, Namibia, Botswana) is very achievable in the medium-term. Even though Ireland was a former colony of the British Empire, haven't been part of the Commonlwealth for over 80 years. Along with Afghanistan, if/when they get Test status it will be very, very historic. Cricket will finally break the British/Commonwealth wall closing the game from the rest of the world.
Posted byhope others asian countries help with Afghanistan .they should invite them to their domestic cricket,,
Posted byI never knew about the cricket .I liked football very much .Even I used to opposed those who said cricket is a good game .I was considering cricket as a wastage of time .But now knowing about the rise of our great Afghanistan in cricket made me a cricket lover to a very great extent.Now I don't miss a single match of Afghanistan .I was very happy and proud when our team became the Intercontinental Cup champion and when I watch them playing against South Africa and India in T20 World Cup last year .It's due to Afghan team that now I know about Sachin Tendulkar ,Ricky Ponting ,Shahid Afridi and many more .Now I watch cricket match prior to a football match.But still I would like to say FIFA is hundred times better than ICC because FIFA gives chance to every football playing nation to play against the good teams but ICC tries to eliminate associates from the World Cup .The teams like Afghanistan and Ireland deserve to be in the World Cup .
Posted byWe Afghans are proud of you guys, You guys are our Hero's, We Love you! and looking forward for yours more success in upcoming matches. and thank you very much all friends for prying to our national team, Especially our INDIAN brothers.
Posted by braindead_rocker on (August 26, 2011, 20:00 GMT)We Indians will always support our Afghan brothers...Good luck guys!!!
Posted by StraightHit on (August 26, 2011, 18:05 GMT)Congrats to Afghan team!. They are making great strides despite not having long term coaches. ICC should invest in teams like Afghanistan and Ireland rather than Canada, Kenya who have wasted golden opportunities to advance.
Posted by TAMUPiers on (August 26, 2011, 17:54 GMT)One way the Afghan team would improve is if they could play within the Pakistan system in the same way that Rhodesia (as it then was) played as part of the South African Currie Cup setup. This would ensure regular competition against competition that includes the top players.
Posted by Cpt.Meanster on (August 26, 2011, 16:18 GMT)I would say these guys are cricket's BAND OF BROTHERS. Amazing story !! I want the ICC to treat them with care and hopefully grant them full ODI status by next year. They are very talented and hard working. My heart goes out to Afghanistan and its people. Decades of war and turmoil hasn't side tracked their will to survive one bit. Bring on Ireland and Afghanistan; the game needs to move forward.
Posted by vallavarayar on (August 26, 2011, 15:36 GMT)Its simply the best thing that could've happened to cricket's growth, the Afghanis succeeding as much as they have. Bring it on yougaiz!
Posted by Biggus on (August 26, 2011, 12:33 GMT)Yep, I can't hope but that these guys will do well. It would be great if at some time in the future we could welcome them to the table as full members. In the meantime, they should play all they can Vs the associates and maybe BD and Zim.@Meety-I like that idea of the Afghanis playing in Pakistan. Pakistani fans must be completely starved of cricket competition and could do with a lift as well. It must be pretty depressing for cricket 'tragics' over there at the moment. I think we Aussie fans take a lot of things for granted that some others can only dream about.
Posted byHands down the most moving sports story of this century - I look forward to the day the entire cricketing world welcomes them on to the international test/ODI arena.
Posted by Meety on (August 26, 2011, 5:41 GMT)Go Afghanis! Look fwd to their clash with Ireland (whenever that is!) It really be a great guage for where those respective countries are at in terms of gaining Test status. I think the Afghanis should really try & piggy back on Pakistans system. Currently, just about the ONLY country in the world that would play in Pakistan is Afghanistan. Pakistan could use them (itinery permitting) as a way of playing home Internationals!