Afghanistan Cricket is a wonderful story. From rubbles to runs to sweet glory, it is almost like a fairytale unfolding right in front of your eyes. Almost every member of the Afghanistan cricket team has a dramatic story to tell as to how cricket happened to them by chance and how they decided to make it a way of life.
The passion is evident, the vigour is palpable and the hunger reflects on the field. From being mere participants to evolving as a team that cannot be taken for granted, they have come a long way. And when they play in their first 50-over World Cup, it will be one proud moment for the team and the whole nation, assures Captain Mohammad Nabi.
“It is the biggest tournament in the world and it is a dream for us to play the World Cup,” Nabi said. “It means a lot to our country and everyone is rooting for us back home. When you see the news and hear about Afghanistan, you can only hear about fights. Cricket can definitely bring about some positivity in our nation. We will try our best to perform very well in the World Cup.”
Nabi was also of the view that his side had done their preparations well and are looking in good stead. They meet Bangladesh in the Pool A fixture which is almost labeled as a mini-final for them. “We have been preparing for the World Cup for the last three months and we are hopeful of making it to the second round. If we win our first game against Bangladesh then second round hopes look possible.”
The captain reckons he has the men to do the job for him. “We have a good bowling attack with the likes of Shapoor Zadran, Hamid Hassan, and Najibullah Zadran. The team has done well over the past few months and have come a long way over the years. We have put up spirited performances against the Test playing nations and even defeated Bangladesh & Zimbabwe in the home series. The boys have the confidence to perform better from the last few World Twenty20s and hopefully we do well in the World Cup.”
