Afghan cricket player Muhammad Shazad has to face suspension from ACB for practicing at Peshawar, Pakistan which is just a lame excuse. A bulk of juvenile Afghan kids roaming free at streets of
Islamabad and at cities of KPK, Pakistan knocking at the doors for leftover
food, erecting and staying at illegal colonies inside big cities, indulging in suspicious activities after parting from the refugee camps or somewhere screaming with joy while playing cricket at green grounds are
mere memories of every Pakistani of Afghan refugees during 80’s and 90’s. While
more than decade long stay at Pakistan, many kids opened their eyes on the land,
grew up here and adopted the passions of Pakistan including Cricket.
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Obviously
the memories at Pakistan as refugee can’t be pleasant in any way for those
young who were constrained to feed on another’s plate for long, so they left
with grudges from Pakistan. Even then Pakistan
was the only country on map, who continued their unconditional support at every
forum including Cricket to let the Afghans revive back soon as reputable
nation. Now the plant was grown up and
started to look for other wall to support.
National Cricket teams also exist at UAE, Zimbabwe, switzerland and at many other countries but only best 10 teams qualify for any world cup event after tough scrutiny by ICC. Many teams have played world cup once or twice but couldn't continue their pace e.g. Zimbabwe. Before leaping towards the long-tiring, unconditional roll of
Pakistan Cricket Board in development of Afghan cricket from early 2000 and aiding
him to qualify for world cup and to become world renowned team amid shadows of drone attacks and blasts
there, first see the tilt of Afghan cricket board towards India since three
years, their agreement and in return the "titles" the Afghan team bring to its
land.
In mind to get fully ready to fight at world cup 2019, Afghan
cricket board availed "exceptional" assistance from India to improve its standard
since three years when pakistan was busy in a huge operation to eradicate terrorism and spies from its land.
The CEO of Afghan Cricket Board was very active and had hoped
to get boost of their players.
First India’s facilitated Afghan cricket board to let its two
cricket grounds one at Greater Noida (near Delhi) and other Dehradun as its
home grounds and Afghanistan have “hosted” its international series against
Bangladesh there.
Secondly, every international team visiting to India had to
play a single match against Afghanistan is also part of their agreement.
Thirdly Afghan players were booming and getting recognition by
playing at IPL.
Fourthly the players with all initial training from Pakistan
were provided logistic and training facilities.
Ok…now come to the end results…a hell of apparent support, so
much flattering of BCCI, offensive statements by officials against its mentor Pakistan
to cheer the new partner, frowned gestures at media and…and… Afghan team
drowned at the beach of world cup ocean. The Afghan cricket team stood last at points table among
10 teams and even couldn’t grab only 2 points to save its face at its country. spectators are afraid of Afghan playing next world cup under its new support partner "India".
board officials
right before or amid world cup against champion trophy 2017 winner team Pakistan;
Afghan cricket board CEO Asadullah khan stated, “We are
currently far better than Pakistan cricket team at all aspects and they should
ask us for technical, coaching and more support at betterment of their cricket”.
OK…
Another official said, “The support of Pakistan was tremendous
but by having India as our second home, our team has got a real boost”.
and Afghan team tried to boost but failed to get fuel even.
“ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS”
Now have a long glance of roll of Pakistan cricket board(PCB)
in development of ACB and to pulling and tugging them towards the biggest event
of cricket. I believe if still PCB would be there, Afghan team might not turned
back white wash.
After bearing the long,
unconditional hosting of millions of At one foggy
and cold night of December 1979, thousands of soldiers from Soviet union intervened
the Afghanistan at midst of cold war to pull the country into turmoil,
bloodshed and poverty. The intervention was widespread that it put the future
and security of thousands of Afghans at risk. Millions of Afghan national had
no choice left other than to migrate towards East, at Pakistan. As sharing the
same religion, culture and ethnic ties, the Afghan migrant were warmed
welcomed. In hope to end of war at their country (which stretched to nine years
till 989), these refugees settled at camps at tribal areas of Pakistan. As time
continued to pass, these refugees began to shatter at big cities (Peshawar,
Karachi and Islamabad) of Pakistan illegally and adopted its norms including
the passion of cricket. I myself witnessed the hundreds of Afghan children
roaming at cities of Islamabad.
This was the time when
Pakistan brought cricket world cup to
Pakistan in 1992 and it was time of jubilation.
On other side Afghans were ready to leave to their country after putting decade
long burden of hospitality upon Pakistan.
The Russians were back after leaving the country shattered at
hands of Islamic fundamentalist group Taliban. Many kids who born, raised and
trained at camps and cities of Pakistan, turned back were dreaming the
prosperous Afghanistan with its own national cricket team. Unfortunately a war torn country, struggling
with financial and political crises made their lives more horrible when the
young were forced to become the part of terrorist group prevailing there. The
only joy and thrill which kept the youth breathing at 90’s in Afghanistan was
playing street cricket tournaments to assume themselves the legends of
Pakistani cricket team Inzam ul Haq,
Imran Khan and Javaid miandad etc.
Just the time Another vicious circle saw the
face of Afghanistan when Taliban government put ban on all games in the country
including cricket, football and hockey etc. after the strong backlash from the
youth which was unexpected for rigid Taliban, not only the ban had to lift up
but
Taliban government then formally
requested and wrote to Pakistan cricket board (PCB) and asked them to support
the application to ICC which was again welcomed and aided at Pakistan as
gesture of brotherhood.
In 2001, first team from Afghanistan visited Pakistan at four
match series at Peshawar and Rawalpindi. This tour and Afghan team raised the
world attention as right in time when Afghan team was playing in Pakistan, US
attacked the Afghanistan with roars of blasts fuming with 9/11 attacks and to
look for the mastermind Usama bin laden, who was cradling at lap of Taliban
there.
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| How PCB supported Afghan cricket to raise the stairs |
It was again the tough time at Afghan people and again
Pakistan had no choice to bear the hospitality of refugees from there. Pakistan
was the country who also affected a lot due to Afghan chaos and real wanted to
bring peace there. Pakistan like many other sectors again fully supported Afghanistan
cricket to nourish. This time the heroes of refugee picked cricket team were
the “Boom Boom” Shahid Afridi and “Rawalpindi express” Shoaib Akhtar from
Pakistan.
Every Afghan young got thrilled to raise its team to highest
levels but no other team or coach was ready to stay the country with American
troops curling around and amid attacks of drones at every corner of
Afghanistan. Now Pakistan in putting its part to raise the country at its foot,
so that many refugees can go back leaving Pakistan, offered the again team many
visits and coaches.
Afghan team(mostly picked from Afghan refugees) was offered two tournaments against, world cup winner of 1992 and runner up of 1999 world cup team Pakistan in 2003 and 2004.
These tournaments polished the skills of Afghan cricket team and Afghan team
finished 6th at ACC trophy in 2004, runner up in the Middle East cup
in 2006.
Now Afghanistan cricket team was rising up the
cricket passion which they took from Pakistan day by day. Still thousands of refugees at Pakistan were cheering
their team at small tournaments held by ICC, the team urged for the professional
coaches. Again it was Pakistan from where the legends joined the Afghan team as
coaches.
KABIR KHAN
Kabir Khan the legend Pakistani player and is highly qualified ECB coach joined the Afghan team in 2008. It was Kabir Khan, who raised struggling Afghan team from ICC CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION FIVE through division four and division three to ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL STATUS just in a year at 2009 and Afghan team became the part of ICC WORLD CUP QUALIFIER.
It was milestone in history when Afghan team got its ODI
status under proficient coaching of Kabir Khan in short time. Another leap for
the stripling Afghan team was to qualify for ICC WORLD TWENTY 20 at 2010. Kabir khan left
the team to join UAE team in 2010 but his contract was renewed at 2011 for
three years again by Afghan cricket board looking at his splendid performance
in development of Afghan team .
2013 BOOST
Now the eyes of Afghan team were fixed to qualify for the mega
event of cricket, the world cup 2015.
In March 2013, Afghan cricket team feasted with a boost after
a two-year memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the Afghanistan
cricket board and Pakistan cricket board for supporting the cricket in
Afghanistan ahead of 2015 world cup.
The PCB not only provided technical and professional training
to Afghan players but arranged coaching courses, skill analysis and umpiring
and curator courses. Many players of present Afghan cricket team including the
captain Gul Badin was found learning and playing top standard cricket,
attending lectures on doping, anti-corruption and on mental and physical help
at cricket academies of Peshawar and Rawalpindi in Pakistan. wait…it was the
time when Pakistan itself was struggling and sacrificing against terrorism and
conspiracy waves from its neighbors but still was lone country to help the war-
torn country when Pakistan was not involved at any reason of war there.
And…Afghan team qualified for world cup 2015 because of that agreement with PCB, was milestone at history as players, passion and efforts of Afghan players were mostly learnt from Pakistan.
INZAMAM UL HAQ as AFGHAN COACH
At 2015, another legend player and part of Pakistani world cup
winning squad joined the afghan team as coach ahead tour of team at Zimbabwe.
His contract was renewed until December 2016 after successful
tour. Inzamam ul Haq resigned the contract before time to avail the opportunity
of chief selector at PCB.
RASHID LATIF, AFGHAN COACH
Another legend Pakistani wicket keeper then hold the Afghan
team as notable batting coach. Rashid Latif openly admired the passion of
Afghan players to learn and excel at all cricket areas.
The time continued to pass. It was the time when the plant
which was embeds by Pakistan was young enough to stay at its feet and to
survive. After decade long sacrifices and bloodshed against enforced terrorism,
Pakistan now was coming up with furious reaction towards all terror activities
and spying mess at its land. The whole nation became on one page to eradicate
terrorist elements and the effort met the success after having the peaceful
Pakistan.
Amid Pakistan’s utmost efforts of eradicating terrorism from
the country, the Afghan cricket board got the generous offers from Pakistan rival
country India to assist it which tilted the Afghan Cricket board. PCB never
mind the nourishing of its toddler team in any way as it was busy with arranging
its PSL tournaments at cities of Pakistan and preparing for coming world cup
2019.
After long-tiring unconditional support towards
ACB, the harsh statements not only somewhere hit the Pakistan’s good faith and its people long hospitality bears but also arose the irony when Afghan team lost all its matches at the big
event.
The frustration of Afghan audience under shadows of Indian "meaningful" support fumed up after sensational defeat of their team at hands of their mentor’s team Pakistan at last over.
“Actions speak loud than words”
Our team at behalf of their nation revealed the secret.
Pakistan as nation don’t have tendency of frowning or false
numbering game like its one neighbor. It never showed off its aid and support which
was provided to its Afghan mates at grass root level but ungrateful attitude really pay at times.
The Afghan cricket team is grown up and is new sensation at
cricket grounds of England and still Pakistan is there to support and “teach”
the Afghan team so it can't be look the world cup on screens like Zimbabwe as the legend Shoaib Akhtar stated ahead the match of two
neighbours.
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