amit
First Class Player
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- Jan 30, 2005
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2011 & 2015 WCs were the 2 most commercially succesful WCs of all time. And the format was simple & easy to understand as well. No complicated things like super 6/8. Group stages & knockouts
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Contact the PP Team
Afghanistan Cricket
- Thread starter MenInG
- Start date
2011 & 2015 WCs were the 2 most commercially succesful WCs of all time. And the format was simple & easy to understand as well. No complicated things like super 6/8. Group stages & knockouts
amit
First Class Player
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- Jan 30, 2005
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- 2,982
1 of the best replies I have read anywhere in Pakpassion. 2019 WC will be a farce. Won't be surprised if 2023 WC is announced as 14 teams. If WI miss out too, won't be surprised if ICC announces 14 teams in 2019 itself picking 12 full members & 2 best associates from WCQ, just to ensure Afghanistan are in, who are otherwise likely to miss out on Super 6 itself
amit
First Class Player
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This thread was made too soon.
On a serious note,disappointing to see a test team miss out on a WC spot.WI have virtually qualified so Scotland,Ireland and Zimbabwe will be slugging it out.
They have only played UAE & PNG and struggled big time against PNG. The tough matches for WI are still to come. WI v Ire tomorrow will be a big match regarding qualification
UN talkz
First Class Star
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Still long way for all teams, no one has qualified yet.
There are 2 groups and top 3 teams from each group will feature in next stage : super six
So even Afghanistan has a chance to qualify for super 6 stage
The top two teams from super 6 will qualify for WC and will be finalists of WCQ, so both winner and runner up will qualify for WC
- Joined
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Well another warning shot to the big guys....Afghanistan looking very good.
thelandofthebravepeople
First Class Captain
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- Apr 17, 2010
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- 5,595
And 1 or 2 proper fast bowlers.
Greenstorm
T20I Debutant
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- Mar 18, 2016
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They lack quality fast bowlers as well. It is their fighting mentality which is winning them games.
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Afghanistan last 8 ODIs:<br>Won 7<br>Lost 1<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFGvSL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AFGvSL</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1041761889473245184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-partner="tweetdeck"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">In ODIs Afghanistan have now beaten:<br>West Indies 3 times out of 5 matches<br>Sri Lanka once out of 3 matches<br>Bangladesh 2 times out of 5 matches<br>Zimbabwe 15 times out of 25 matches<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AsiaCup2018?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AsiaCup2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AFGvSL?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AFGvSL</a></p>— Saj Sadiq (@Saj_PakPassion) <a href="https://twitter.com/Saj_PakPassion/status/1041763100796575747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Gabbar Singh
Test Debutant
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- Nov 11, 2007
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- 15,550
Even the body language of their players is great to see - not arrogant and cocky but they certainly look assertive and very confident in how they go about their business.
Hasan2K8
Local Club Regular
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Another team from Subcontinent. All we need is Nepal to come into the fold, rise up into the top 11 odi ranks. Then be 6teams. Post 2023 WC Asia cup will be lot more challenging! Proper be like the Euros of cricket!
Hasan2K8
Local Club Regular
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They have swag? I think is what your trying to say. Which they do.
But I disagree about not having cocky attitudes, they did early part I remember against Bangladesh they showed attitude in 2014-16. Maybe as time went they have calmed down and matured a bit and learnt to be more broader.
MoJoJoJo
Tape Ball Star
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Such a joy to watch this wonderfully gifted and talented Afghanistan team! They have made incredible progress in such a short time. A real force in white ball formats, the cricketing world must watch out.</p>— Shahid Afridi (@SAfridiOfficial) <a href="https://twitter.com/SAfridiOfficial/status/1042843754263203841?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 20, 2018</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Afghanistan were terrific tonight but inexperience at the top level told.
Their passion and effort is there for all to see. They will be a tricky team to face in Asia, and I'm sure they'll claim the scalps of non-Asian teams in Asian conditions.
Their passion and effort is there for all to see. They will be a tricky team to face in Asia, and I'm sure they'll claim the scalps of non-Asian teams in Asian conditions.
TalentSpotterPk
Test Debutant
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- Post of the Week
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If Dawlat Zadran and Hamid Hassan would have been fit than Afg could have won this Asia Cup. They should have won against BD had it not been brainfade by Rashid & Naib.
With Baheer Shah making debut and Dawlat & Hamid getting back into playing eleven they will be a force in 2019 WC.
With Baheer Shah making debut and Dawlat & Hamid getting back into playing eleven they will be a force in 2019 WC.
RyanRyan10
First Class Star
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2018
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- 3,760
Hamid hardly plays now,he is injured most of the times
Dawlat has not been good off late,has been leaking runs against Zim,Ire & associates..
Yamin Ahmadzai & Wafadar should be brought in
Both look much better than Aftab Alam to me who is playing because of his connections
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
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- 217,980
Trailblazing bowler Rashid Khan said Afghanistan will fear no one when the World Cup starts in May after a maiden Test win enhanced the reputation of the rising cricket nation.
Khan, who is one of the world's leading bowlers in short-form cricket, said Afghanistan's confidence was growing after beating Ireland on Monday in just their second Test match.
The 20-year-old leg-spinner, who tops the world Twenty20 bowling rankings and lies third in the 50-over standings, took five for 82 as Afghanistan beat their fellow Test newcomers in Dehradun.
Before an expected starring role for Sunrisers Hyderabad when the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) begins at the weekend, Khan said Aghanistan's cricketers now need only to believe in themselves.
"We have the talent and we have the skills," he told AFP in an interview.
At last year's Asia Cup, Afghanistan made a breakthrough by topping their group in the 50-over competition ahead of established Test nations Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
- 'Believe in your skills' -
"How we played in the Asia Cup was totally different and we showed that we can beat any side," said Khan, whose side even tied a match with heavyweights India in the last-four stage.
"The only thing is to believe in your skills. Just to be relaxed in big matches and enjoy your game," he said.
"And that's how we should be in the World Cup."
War-torn Afghanistan only gained one-day international (ODI) status in 2009 and Test status in 2017, but their recent rise has coincided with Khan's emergence as a world-class spinner.
He made his ODI debut in 2015 as a 17-year-old and credits fast-paced Twenty20 tournaments such as the IPL for developing his bowling repertoire, which includes a mesmerising googly.
"The IPL gives you lot of motivation. Once you play in these leagues, it gives you confidence playing with big players," said Khan, who cost Hyderabad $597,000 in 2017 and took 21 wickets for them last year.
"And then you perform there on flat wickets like the IPL and that gives you a kind of satisfaction and confidence that I can deliver when I am in the national side."
Khan has travelled the world to take part in Twenty20 leagues including Australia's Big Bash, the Caribbean Premier League and the Pakistan Super League.
"It really helps to improve your skills working with different coaches and players," he said. "Pick their thoughts and experience and that really helps you improve your game."
Khan, one of 12 siblings, learnt his cricket with a tennis ball in the remote and humble province of Nangarhar before making his international debut against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
The world took notice when he became the fastest bowler to 100 ODI wickets, completing the milestone in 44 games, eight fewer than Australia's Mitchell Starc. He now has 123 in 57 matches.
- 'I don't pressure myself' -
Khan says the key to his success is that he focuses only on practising and playing despite bearing the huge expectation that he will take wickets every time he bowls.
"I don't put that pressure on myself. I keep trying to enjoy myself. Enjoy my bowling whether I take wickets or not," he said.
"I focus on doing the right things and bowl well. I don't focus on the result but focus on my hard work."
Khan, who is a big fan of Pakistan all-round great Shahid Afridi, said it was tough learning to play cricket in a country ravaged by war for decades.
While many of the Afghanistan's players learnt the game in refugee camps across the border in Pakistan, Khan played with his seven brothers to hone his skills.
"It was tough because of the lack of facilities. No good grounds and equipment. But we still enjoyed our cricket," said Khan with a smile.
"We never put it in our mind that we don't have facilities or stuff like that and tried to focus on our game.
"My brothers used to watch and play cricket and that's how I became a big fan of the game."
Afghanistan lost their debut Test to top-ranked India inside two days in 2018, but came back a much-improved side against Ireland a year later.
"The win against Ireland will help motivate our first-class cricketers," Khan said. "People will start loving Tests rather than Twenty20s and ODIs."
https://www.afp.com/en/news/3955/bring-world-cup-we-fear-no-one-afghan-spin-king-khan-doc-1es9u91
Khan, who is one of the world's leading bowlers in short-form cricket, said Afghanistan's confidence was growing after beating Ireland on Monday in just their second Test match.
The 20-year-old leg-spinner, who tops the world Twenty20 bowling rankings and lies third in the 50-over standings, took five for 82 as Afghanistan beat their fellow Test newcomers in Dehradun.
Before an expected starring role for Sunrisers Hyderabad when the 2019 Indian Premier League (IPL) begins at the weekend, Khan said Aghanistan's cricketers now need only to believe in themselves.
"We have the talent and we have the skills," he told AFP in an interview.
At last year's Asia Cup, Afghanistan made a breakthrough by topping their group in the 50-over competition ahead of established Test nations Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
- 'Believe in your skills' -
"How we played in the Asia Cup was totally different and we showed that we can beat any side," said Khan, whose side even tied a match with heavyweights India in the last-four stage.
"The only thing is to believe in your skills. Just to be relaxed in big matches and enjoy your game," he said.
"And that's how we should be in the World Cup."
War-torn Afghanistan only gained one-day international (ODI) status in 2009 and Test status in 2017, but their recent rise has coincided with Khan's emergence as a world-class spinner.
He made his ODI debut in 2015 as a 17-year-old and credits fast-paced Twenty20 tournaments such as the IPL for developing his bowling repertoire, which includes a mesmerising googly.
"The IPL gives you lot of motivation. Once you play in these leagues, it gives you confidence playing with big players," said Khan, who cost Hyderabad $597,000 in 2017 and took 21 wickets for them last year.
"And then you perform there on flat wickets like the IPL and that gives you a kind of satisfaction and confidence that I can deliver when I am in the national side."
Khan has travelled the world to take part in Twenty20 leagues including Australia's Big Bash, the Caribbean Premier League and the Pakistan Super League.
"It really helps to improve your skills working with different coaches and players," he said. "Pick their thoughts and experience and that really helps you improve your game."
Khan, one of 12 siblings, learnt his cricket with a tennis ball in the remote and humble province of Nangarhar before making his international debut against Zimbabwe in Bulawayo.
The world took notice when he became the fastest bowler to 100 ODI wickets, completing the milestone in 44 games, eight fewer than Australia's Mitchell Starc. He now has 123 in 57 matches.
- 'I don't pressure myself' -
Khan says the key to his success is that he focuses only on practising and playing despite bearing the huge expectation that he will take wickets every time he bowls.
"I don't put that pressure on myself. I keep trying to enjoy myself. Enjoy my bowling whether I take wickets or not," he said.
"I focus on doing the right things and bowl well. I don't focus on the result but focus on my hard work."
Khan, who is a big fan of Pakistan all-round great Shahid Afridi, said it was tough learning to play cricket in a country ravaged by war for decades.
While many of the Afghanistan's players learnt the game in refugee camps across the border in Pakistan, Khan played with his seven brothers to hone his skills.
"It was tough because of the lack of facilities. No good grounds and equipment. But we still enjoyed our cricket," said Khan with a smile.
"We never put it in our mind that we don't have facilities or stuff like that and tried to focus on our game.
"My brothers used to watch and play cricket and that's how I became a big fan of the game."
Afghanistan lost their debut Test to top-ranked India inside two days in 2018, but came back a much-improved side against Ireland a year later.
"The win against Ireland will help motivate our first-class cricketers," Khan said. "People will start loving Tests rather than Twenty20s and ODIs."
https://www.afp.com/en/news/3955/bring-world-cup-we-fear-no-one-afghan-spin-king-khan-doc-1es9u91
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Canford Cliffs
Local Club Star
- Joined
- Jul 22, 2018
- Runs
- 1,803
Fantastic cricket team and most importantly a team that dont hide behind excuses. I have always rated them very highly and have got soft corner for them. Imagine, the country was ridden with war, no proper infrastructure and yet to produce the kind of talents they are doing is mind blowing. This Afg side will go a long way and I wish them all the best.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
JALALABAD, Afghanistan (Reuters) - During a lull in Afghanistan’s never-ending war, before the fighting season resumes once again in the spring, Taliban fighters recall laying down their Kalashnikovs and, for a brief moment, enjoying a game of cricket.
The sport is the only one most of the fighters enjoy, commanders say, with matches attracting hundreds of spectators from Taliban-controlled villages when there is no fighting. They are also fans of the increasingly successful national team.
“I love cricket,” said Mullah Badruddin, a Taliban commander in Khogyani district of Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan, where a tournament organized by the militants at the start of last winter drew large crowds.
“When Afghanistan play against another team, we listen to the radio with great interest and we also check for scores in social media and follow those in Facebook who give live updates,” he told Reuters by telephone.
First played in Afghanistan by British troops in the 19th Century, the game was adopted by Afghans in the refugee camps of cricket-loving Pakistan, where more than 3 million fled a Soviet invasion and civil war in the 1980s and 1990s, and has since made huge strides in the country, particularly among ethnic Pashtuns in the eastern border provinces.
Taj Malook Khan, who helped set up the Afghan Cricket Club in Kacha Gari refugee camp outside the Pakistani city of Peshawar in the 1980s, and a small group of players used to cross into Afghanistan during the 1990s Taliban era to play and promote cricket.
The Taliban had banned games such as cricket and football in the early years of their austere rule because they believed they kept men away from prayers, according to former national cricketer Hasti Gul, but later became more tolerant of cricket.
From there, despite at least two attacks in the past couple of years on cricket matches claimed by the ultra radical Islamic State group, the game now rivals football for popularity in a country that has long been cut off from international sport.
STAR NAMES
Admitted as a full member of the International Cricket Council in 2017, Afghanistan won its first five-day Test match against Ireland last month after making steady progress in the lower levels of the international game.
However it is in the dynamic, shorter form of the sport that Afghans have had most impact.
Players such as spin bowler Rashid Khan or big hitting batsman Mohammad Nabi Esakhil have become undisputed stars of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the razzle-dazzle showcase of so-called T20 cricket, the 12th season of which has just got under way.
Despite the Taliban’s former suspicion of organized sports and their opposition to much of the transformation in Afghanistan since their hardline Islamic regime was toppled in 2001, many of the mainly Pashtun movement’s fighters are fans.
Unlike football, which offends the sensibilities of some very conservative Muslims because it is normally played in shorts, cricket is played in long sleeves and trousers, in line with traditional dress codes. It also bears some resemblance to traditional Afghan children’s games involving throwing and using sticks to hit smaller sticks or balls.
Karim Sadiq, a former batsman in the national team and an early pioneer of the sport who visited some Taliban-controlled areas in eastern Afghanistan this year, said he was mobbed by fighters asking about the game and their favorite players.
A video clip he shot on his mobile phone shows dozens of Taliban, many with Kalashnikov automatic rifles slung across their shoulders, dissecting the quality of the team.
“I like all the players but my favorite is Rashid Khan Arman,” says one fighter, referring to the young spin bowler who stars for the Afghan national side and IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad. “His bowling is amazing.”
WORLD CUP DREAM
With the approach of the cricket World Cup in England and Wales from May to July, Afghanistan’s hopes of making a dent in the tournament are higher than they have ever been, even if few give them a chance against giants of the game such as India, Australia or England.
“We have a very strong team and my dream is Afghanistan bring the World Cup home,” said Hazrat Gul, a young cricketer in the eastern city of Jalalabad, as he prepared to play a friendly match against a team from neighboring Kunar province.
As peace talks between the U.S. government and Taliban officials continue and Afghanistan looks for a way out of 40 years of conflict, excitement is building and officials and government ministers lavish praise on the players, whom President Ashraf Ghani has called national heroes.
From the other side of the war, the feeling is similar. Sadiq who has just returned to practice after a long injury, aiming to take part in the upcoming World Cup, said the Taliban usually send them congratulatory messages through social media and on his cellphone when Afghanistan win.
Such broad appeal has seen the sport widely hailed as a unifying force in Afghanistan, a patchwork of different languages and cultures, sometimes at peace with each other but increasingly in recent years in conflict.
Look deeper, and the state of the game has much to say about a country where sport has repeatedly attracted violence, including suicide attacks on cricket and wrestling matches, and where politics is increasingly divided along ethnic lines that shade into all aspects of life.
For many Persian-speaking Tajiks and Hazaras, cricket is a sport for Pashtuns, the dominant ethnic group from the south and east of the country that has provided almost all kings and presidents throughout Afghan history.
“I have no interest and don’t know anything about cricket,” said Ahmad Jawad, a shopkeeper in Parwan, a mainly Tajik province north of Kabul. “It’s a Pashtun game with Pashtun players, so let them enjoy their game.”
After the Taliban fell following the U.S.-led campaign of 2001, Sadiq and Gul - brothers who, like many teammates, learned their cricket in Pakistan - and other players struggled to convince Tajik commanders from the victorious Northern Alliance that swept into Kabul to allow them to continue playing the game.
“Palace officials told us to join Afghan guard units and forget about cricket,” said Gul, who recalled having to cancel a provincial tournament in Kabul in 2005 after losing a fistfight with soccer players who wanted to use the pitch.
Now, with the IPL beamed into homes all over the country and the looming World Cup, he feels change is coming and the sport can give Afghanistan a platform no other can equal, one that offers hope for a more normal future after so many years of war.
“We literally had no support from the government for so many years before they have realized we could bring glory to our country,” he said. “Now everyone loves cricket and we are so proud to raise our national flag on the world stage.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...n-cricket-the-taliban-and-peace-idUSKCN1RE01D
The sport is the only one most of the fighters enjoy, commanders say, with matches attracting hundreds of spectators from Taliban-controlled villages when there is no fighting. They are also fans of the increasingly successful national team.
“I love cricket,” said Mullah Badruddin, a Taliban commander in Khogyani district of Nangarhar, on the border with Pakistan, where a tournament organized by the militants at the start of last winter drew large crowds.
“When Afghanistan play against another team, we listen to the radio with great interest and we also check for scores in social media and follow those in Facebook who give live updates,” he told Reuters by telephone.
First played in Afghanistan by British troops in the 19th Century, the game was adopted by Afghans in the refugee camps of cricket-loving Pakistan, where more than 3 million fled a Soviet invasion and civil war in the 1980s and 1990s, and has since made huge strides in the country, particularly among ethnic Pashtuns in the eastern border provinces.
Taj Malook Khan, who helped set up the Afghan Cricket Club in Kacha Gari refugee camp outside the Pakistani city of Peshawar in the 1980s, and a small group of players used to cross into Afghanistan during the 1990s Taliban era to play and promote cricket.
The Taliban had banned games such as cricket and football in the early years of their austere rule because they believed they kept men away from prayers, according to former national cricketer Hasti Gul, but later became more tolerant of cricket.
From there, despite at least two attacks in the past couple of years on cricket matches claimed by the ultra radical Islamic State group, the game now rivals football for popularity in a country that has long been cut off from international sport.
STAR NAMES
Admitted as a full member of the International Cricket Council in 2017, Afghanistan won its first five-day Test match against Ireland last month after making steady progress in the lower levels of the international game.
However it is in the dynamic, shorter form of the sport that Afghans have had most impact.
Players such as spin bowler Rashid Khan or big hitting batsman Mohammad Nabi Esakhil have become undisputed stars of the Indian Premier League (IPL), the razzle-dazzle showcase of so-called T20 cricket, the 12th season of which has just got under way.
Despite the Taliban’s former suspicion of organized sports and their opposition to much of the transformation in Afghanistan since their hardline Islamic regime was toppled in 2001, many of the mainly Pashtun movement’s fighters are fans.
Unlike football, which offends the sensibilities of some very conservative Muslims because it is normally played in shorts, cricket is played in long sleeves and trousers, in line with traditional dress codes. It also bears some resemblance to traditional Afghan children’s games involving throwing and using sticks to hit smaller sticks or balls.
Karim Sadiq, a former batsman in the national team and an early pioneer of the sport who visited some Taliban-controlled areas in eastern Afghanistan this year, said he was mobbed by fighters asking about the game and their favorite players.
A video clip he shot on his mobile phone shows dozens of Taliban, many with Kalashnikov automatic rifles slung across their shoulders, dissecting the quality of the team.
“I like all the players but my favorite is Rashid Khan Arman,” says one fighter, referring to the young spin bowler who stars for the Afghan national side and IPL’s Sunrisers Hyderabad. “His bowling is amazing.”
WORLD CUP DREAM
With the approach of the cricket World Cup in England and Wales from May to July, Afghanistan’s hopes of making a dent in the tournament are higher than they have ever been, even if few give them a chance against giants of the game such as India, Australia or England.
“We have a very strong team and my dream is Afghanistan bring the World Cup home,” said Hazrat Gul, a young cricketer in the eastern city of Jalalabad, as he prepared to play a friendly match against a team from neighboring Kunar province.
As peace talks between the U.S. government and Taliban officials continue and Afghanistan looks for a way out of 40 years of conflict, excitement is building and officials and government ministers lavish praise on the players, whom President Ashraf Ghani has called national heroes.
From the other side of the war, the feeling is similar. Sadiq who has just returned to practice after a long injury, aiming to take part in the upcoming World Cup, said the Taliban usually send them congratulatory messages through social media and on his cellphone when Afghanistan win.
Such broad appeal has seen the sport widely hailed as a unifying force in Afghanistan, a patchwork of different languages and cultures, sometimes at peace with each other but increasingly in recent years in conflict.
Look deeper, and the state of the game has much to say about a country where sport has repeatedly attracted violence, including suicide attacks on cricket and wrestling matches, and where politics is increasingly divided along ethnic lines that shade into all aspects of life.
For many Persian-speaking Tajiks and Hazaras, cricket is a sport for Pashtuns, the dominant ethnic group from the south and east of the country that has provided almost all kings and presidents throughout Afghan history.
“I have no interest and don’t know anything about cricket,” said Ahmad Jawad, a shopkeeper in Parwan, a mainly Tajik province north of Kabul. “It’s a Pashtun game with Pashtun players, so let them enjoy their game.”
After the Taliban fell following the U.S.-led campaign of 2001, Sadiq and Gul - brothers who, like many teammates, learned their cricket in Pakistan - and other players struggled to convince Tajik commanders from the victorious Northern Alliance that swept into Kabul to allow them to continue playing the game.
“Palace officials told us to join Afghan guard units and forget about cricket,” said Gul, who recalled having to cancel a provincial tournament in Kabul in 2005 after losing a fistfight with soccer players who wanted to use the pitch.
Now, with the IPL beamed into homes all over the country and the looming World Cup, he feels change is coming and the sport can give Afghanistan a platform no other can equal, one that offers hope for a more normal future after so many years of war.
“We literally had no support from the government for so many years before they have realized we could bring glory to our country,” he said. “Now everyone loves cricket and we are so proud to raise our national flag on the world stage.”
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...n-cricket-the-taliban-and-peace-idUSKCN1RE01D
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">I strongly condemn the attack on our <a href="https://twitter.com/ACBofficials?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ACBofficials</a> Chairman <a href="https://twitter.com/AzizullahFazli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@AzizullahFazli</a> <br>who was attacked by unknown gunmen Today in kabul but was rescued by the Afghan security forces. <a href="https://t.co/nmDyD7O52g">pic.twitter.com/nmDyD7O52g</a></p>— Gulbadin Naib (@GbNaib) <a href="https://twitter.com/GbNaib/status/1129403700580147201?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 17, 2019</a></blockquote>
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- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
KABUL (Reuters) - Afghanistan’s victory over Pakistan in a warmup match for the Cricket World Cup on Friday was greeted with prolonged volleys of celebratory gunfire and prompted a rare show of unity in a country split by increasingly bitter political divisions.
Cricket - ICC Cricket World Cup Warm-Up Match - Pakistan v Afghanistan - County Ground, Bristol, Britain - May 24, 2019 Afghanistan fans during the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
Lifted by a controlled 74 not out by Hashmatullah Shahidi and a quickfire 49 from Hazratullah Zazai, the Blue Tigers chased down Pakistan’s total of 262 to win by three wickets in a timely boost before the World Cup starts on Thursday.
For Afghanistan, still searching for peace after decades of war, the victory was especially sweet because it came against Pakistan.
Many Afghans accuse their neighbour of supporting the Taliban and fuelling instability in their country, a charge which Pakistan, for its part, denies.
As the match concluded, automatic gunfire rang out across Kabul as fans rushed into the streets of the Afghan capital in now a familiar celebration of cricket success.
The rise of Afghan cricket has been a remarkable by-product of the decades of turmoil that forced millions into refugee camps across the border in Pakistan, where young men uprooted from home and with little to occupy them learned the sport.
On social media, politicians set aside brawls in parliament and bitter accusations of corruption, incompetence and nepotism to hail the team under Gulbadin Naib who hope to make the semi-finals.
“We, the Afghans, defeated Pakistan in cricket,” tweeted Amrullah Saleh, a former intelligence chief now running on President Ashraf Ghani’s team for elections in September.
“Yes it happened this evening and a massive mark was registered in history.”
Similar messages came from a range of other officials and political figures.
In a sporting concession, Gen. Asif Ghafoor, the powerful head of the Pakistani military communications wing, sent a tweet saying “Well played Afgan Cricket Team”.
Amid the congratulations, there was also criticism of the gunfire which regularly greets sporting success.
“Celebrating with gunfire is a shame, those who are interested in gunshots can join ANDSF, we need them on the battlefield,” said Abdul Moqim Abdulrahimzai, a senior official in the interior ministry, referring to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
https://in.reuters.com/article/cric...rmup-win-with-pride-and-gunfire-idINKCN1SV057
Cricket - ICC Cricket World Cup Warm-Up Match - Pakistan v Afghanistan - County Ground, Bristol, Britain - May 24, 2019 Afghanistan fans during the match Action Images via Reuters/Andrew Couldridge
Lifted by a controlled 74 not out by Hashmatullah Shahidi and a quickfire 49 from Hazratullah Zazai, the Blue Tigers chased down Pakistan’s total of 262 to win by three wickets in a timely boost before the World Cup starts on Thursday.
For Afghanistan, still searching for peace after decades of war, the victory was especially sweet because it came against Pakistan.
Many Afghans accuse their neighbour of supporting the Taliban and fuelling instability in their country, a charge which Pakistan, for its part, denies.
As the match concluded, automatic gunfire rang out across Kabul as fans rushed into the streets of the Afghan capital in now a familiar celebration of cricket success.
The rise of Afghan cricket has been a remarkable by-product of the decades of turmoil that forced millions into refugee camps across the border in Pakistan, where young men uprooted from home and with little to occupy them learned the sport.
On social media, politicians set aside brawls in parliament and bitter accusations of corruption, incompetence and nepotism to hail the team under Gulbadin Naib who hope to make the semi-finals.
“We, the Afghans, defeated Pakistan in cricket,” tweeted Amrullah Saleh, a former intelligence chief now running on President Ashraf Ghani’s team for elections in September.
“Yes it happened this evening and a massive mark was registered in history.”
Similar messages came from a range of other officials and political figures.
In a sporting concession, Gen. Asif Ghafoor, the powerful head of the Pakistani military communications wing, sent a tweet saying “Well played Afgan Cricket Team”.
Amid the congratulations, there was also criticism of the gunfire which regularly greets sporting success.
“Celebrating with gunfire is a shame, those who are interested in gunshots can join ANDSF, we need them on the battlefield,” said Abdul Moqim Abdulrahimzai, a senior official in the interior ministry, referring to the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces.
https://in.reuters.com/article/cric...rmup-win-with-pride-and-gunfire-idINKCN1SV057
cricguru
Tape Ball Star
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2012
- Runs
- 618
Regardless of Afghanistan loss today i see a bright future for Afghanistan
Afghanistan team is improving day by day. Regardless of their loss today vs Pakistan. I see a bright future for this team. I won't be surprise if Afghanistan ends up in top 4 teams by next World Cup. I see vibes of Srilankan team of1994-1995.
If one or two start batsmen come to this team and one decent fast bowler then this team has potential to become 2nd best Asian team.!!
Afghanistan team is improving day by day. Regardless of their loss today vs Pakistan. I see a bright future for this team. I won't be surprise if Afghanistan ends up in top 4 teams by next World Cup. I see vibes of Srilankan team of1994-1995.
If one or two start batsmen come to this team and one decent fast bowler then this team has potential to become 2nd best Asian team.!!
JaDed
Test Star
- Joined
- May 5, 2014
- Runs
- 39,217
Predicting corruption,nepotism and making big statements with a good performance here and there individually.
Loralai
Tape Ball Captain
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2016
- Runs
- 1,128
Absolutely a very bright future for them. Great talents like Mujeeb, Rashid and Nabi. I would love to see them come to Pakistan for a Test series. Awesome players.
Savak
World Star
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2006
- Runs
- 50,178
- Post of the Week
- 3
A good ODI and T-20 Outfit with good batsmen and spinners. Can upset anyone on their day
Executioner
Test Debutant
- Joined
- Mar 17, 2012
- Runs
- 15,032
- Post of the Week
- 1
They have some exciting players and a lot of rubbish and arrogance.
Artaxerxes
Tape Ball Captain
- Joined
- Mar 25, 2016
- Runs
- 1,251
They will not go far due to corruption,nepotism and infighting.Afghans are divided on ethnic,tribal and religious lines which creates friction within in the board and players.No country is going to tour Afghanistan for many years to come.Pakistan cricket suffered because of playing on dead pitches in UAE and in empty stadiums.However Pakistan being a large country will always have a large pool of players available esp fast bowlers
sshakir411
First Class Captain
- Joined
- May 28, 2010
- Runs
- 4,820
- Post of the Week
- 1
Perhaps the Afghans find pride in being India’s little B. They really need to lose the ****** attitude and start focusing on building a cricket infrastructure
Itachi
Test Debutant
- Joined
- Jun 14, 2011
- Runs
- 16,430
BCCI is providing them venues. It isn't far fetched to say that BCCI has taken afg under it's wings. So above concerns while would have been valid at other times but with assistance from BCCI, it won't come in to play THAT drastically.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
The BCCI has often extended a helping hand in the development of Afghanistan as a cricketing force. India has been the team’s home away from home for a few years now and the Afghans also played their maiden Test against India in Bangalore, but the Indian Board has turned down the request for their players to be included in Indian domestic matches.
The recent World Cup in the UK was only the second edition featuring Afghanistan but though they lost all their nine matches, they pushed teams like India and Pakistan very close while holding the upper hand against Sri Lanka and West Indies for long periods of time. What may have counted against them as inexperience and lack of exposure to a sufficiently high level of cricket. Towards that end, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had requested that their players be included in domestic matches, camps and training programmes conducted by BCCI.
But the Committee of Administrators, in its latest meeting, rejected the request, saying that “it will not be possible for BCCI to include players from Afghanistan in the domestic matches/tournaments organised by BCCI.” However, the Indian Board has allowed Afghan players to be included in its camps and training programmes.
The decision comes soon after BCCI shot down the ACB’s plea to allow the Afghanistan Premier League, which was held in Sharjah last year, to be staged in India, as the country has its own twenty20 franchise competition every summer. BCCI, however, agreed to look into Afghanistan’s request for an alternate venue for their international matches. They have been hosting teams at Dehradun and Greater Noida, but have communicated to the Indian Board that they find the two venues inconvenient. The CoA discussed that any alternate venue shouldn’t hamper BCCI’s own scheduled domestic matches. Lucknow is the venue most likely to be offered to the Afghanistan team.
No overseas match for MI
Four-time Indian Premier League champions Mumbai Indians wanted to take the team to the United States to play some matches. But the CoA has turned down the request. Several MI players such as Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are Team India regulars and the BCCI can’t afford the risk of injury that may make them unavailable for national duty. Also, getting the team’s foreign players for the American trip may be tricky as other national team’s will have their own commitments.
Commentators’ fees
The CoA approved the recommendation to revise the fees of the commentators contracted with the BCCI after they were told that the same had not been done for a long time. These commentators speak on television during India’s home matches and the various domestic tournaments.
Payments to Azhar
Former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin has missed out on BCCI’s one-time payment, part of the benevolent fund and pension due to the life ban imposed for his alleged involvement in match-fixing. But the ban was set aside by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The matter of the money due to Azhar had earlier been referred by the CoA to the appropriate authority of the Board and a decision is likely after the BCCI election scheduled later this year. Lieutenant-General Ravi Thodge was not a member of the CoA then, and the committee decided that the entire facts of the case be presented again for discussion at a subsequent meeting.
Khanna’s staff to be paid
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The CoA decided that all employees who worked for the IPL ticket distribution should be made per diem payment for 55 days. The decision was prompted by the request made by the office of acting president CK Khanna for payment of per diem to a member of his staff for the work done in relation to distribution of IPL tickets.
Hirwani with women’s team
Former India international and National Cricket Academy spin coach Narendra Hirwani is set to work as a consultant with the country’s women’s team. Hirwani, who played 17 Tests and 18 ODIs for India, is likely to travel with the team on select assignments starting with the home series against South Africa in September. India’s T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur had recently expressed the need for a spin bowling coach considering the team is full of tweakers, including Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht and Deepti Sharma.
Amount released to DDCA
The CoA decided that an amount equal to that paid by the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) to its vendors towards installation of air conditioner and upgradation of high mast lights be paid to the state body. The money will be released after verification of all documents and on the understanding that the said amount shall be deducted from the amount due from the Board’s side to the state associations.
The DDCA had requested for the funds saying it had already paid the vendors.
https://indianexpress.com/article/s...n-players-in-indian-domestic-cricket-5836835/
The recent World Cup in the UK was only the second edition featuring Afghanistan but though they lost all their nine matches, they pushed teams like India and Pakistan very close while holding the upper hand against Sri Lanka and West Indies for long periods of time. What may have counted against them as inexperience and lack of exposure to a sufficiently high level of cricket. Towards that end, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had requested that their players be included in domestic matches, camps and training programmes conducted by BCCI.
But the Committee of Administrators, in its latest meeting, rejected the request, saying that “it will not be possible for BCCI to include players from Afghanistan in the domestic matches/tournaments organised by BCCI.” However, the Indian Board has allowed Afghan players to be included in its camps and training programmes.
The decision comes soon after BCCI shot down the ACB’s plea to allow the Afghanistan Premier League, which was held in Sharjah last year, to be staged in India, as the country has its own twenty20 franchise competition every summer. BCCI, however, agreed to look into Afghanistan’s request for an alternate venue for their international matches. They have been hosting teams at Dehradun and Greater Noida, but have communicated to the Indian Board that they find the two venues inconvenient. The CoA discussed that any alternate venue shouldn’t hamper BCCI’s own scheduled domestic matches. Lucknow is the venue most likely to be offered to the Afghanistan team.
No overseas match for MI
Four-time Indian Premier League champions Mumbai Indians wanted to take the team to the United States to play some matches. But the CoA has turned down the request. Several MI players such as Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya are Team India regulars and the BCCI can’t afford the risk of injury that may make them unavailable for national duty. Also, getting the team’s foreign players for the American trip may be tricky as other national team’s will have their own commitments.
Commentators’ fees
The CoA approved the recommendation to revise the fees of the commentators contracted with the BCCI after they were told that the same had not been done for a long time. These commentators speak on television during India’s home matches and the various domestic tournaments.
Payments to Azhar
Former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin has missed out on BCCI’s one-time payment, part of the benevolent fund and pension due to the life ban imposed for his alleged involvement in match-fixing. But the ban was set aside by the Andhra Pradesh High Court.
The matter of the money due to Azhar had earlier been referred by the CoA to the appropriate authority of the Board and a decision is likely after the BCCI election scheduled later this year. Lieutenant-General Ravi Thodge was not a member of the CoA then, and the committee decided that the entire facts of the case be presented again for discussion at a subsequent meeting.
Khanna’s staff to be paid
BEST OF EXPRESS
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Karnataka Speaker on floor test: Lot of discussion has happened, I want to close it today
Karnataka crisis: CM ignores Guv's deadline to prove majority, gets another
Priyanka taken into preventive custody on way to meet Sonbhadra firing victims
The CoA decided that all employees who worked for the IPL ticket distribution should be made per diem payment for 55 days. The decision was prompted by the request made by the office of acting president CK Khanna for payment of per diem to a member of his staff for the work done in relation to distribution of IPL tickets.
Hirwani with women’s team
Former India international and National Cricket Academy spin coach Narendra Hirwani is set to work as a consultant with the country’s women’s team. Hirwani, who played 17 Tests and 18 ODIs for India, is likely to travel with the team on select assignments starting with the home series against South Africa in September. India’s T20 captain Harmanpreet Kaur had recently expressed the need for a spin bowling coach considering the team is full of tweakers, including Poonam Yadav, Ekta Bisht and Deepti Sharma.
Amount released to DDCA
The CoA decided that an amount equal to that paid by the Delhi & District Cricket Association (DDCA) to its vendors towards installation of air conditioner and upgradation of high mast lights be paid to the state body. The money will be released after verification of all documents and on the understanding that the said amount shall be deducted from the amount due from the Board’s side to the state associations.
The DDCA had requested for the funds saying it had already paid the vendors.
https://indianexpress.com/article/s...n-players-in-indian-domestic-cricket-5836835/
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
Really not many doubts left about their future after the win against Bangladesh
sweep_shot
Test Captain
- Joined
- Mar 30, 2016
- Runs
- 47,632
Afghans did amazing so far. I think they have a good future ahead.
Joseph Gomes
First Class Star
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2017
- Runs
- 4,075
Can Afghanistan become the Sri Lanka of 90s?
After Bangladesh regression to a minnow once more, Afghanistan has finally become a respectable team in cricket. They beat Bangladesh in their third ever test match, away from home. They also have won 12 T20Is in a row apparently (I don't check T20 stats, saw on Reddit). They beat Bangladesh in Asia Cup and nearly beat both India and Pakistan as well.
Only place where Afghanistan failed is the WC. However their performance is stunning in all formats. Can Afghanistan become Sri Lanka of 1990s?
After Bangladesh regression to a minnow once more, Afghanistan has finally become a respectable team in cricket. They beat Bangladesh in their third ever test match, away from home. They also have won 12 T20Is in a row apparently (I don't check T20 stats, saw on Reddit). They beat Bangladesh in Asia Cup and nearly beat both India and Pakistan as well.
Only place where Afghanistan failed is the WC. However their performance is stunning in all formats. Can Afghanistan become Sri Lanka of 1990s?
Hyperion66
First Class Player
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2019
- Runs
- 3,011
As of now they don't have proper batsmen or fast bowlers for that but things can surely change. Rahmat Shah is genuinely good and the other kid, I forgot his name, who scored 80+ in the second inning against BD is pretty decent too.
Perhaps a bit off topic but I feel Rashid has immense potential with the bat which is not being utilised at all by AFG management. He has the gift of timing and ridiculously overqualified as a tail ender. They should just try him as opener for a few matches and see how it goes. Who knows they might just unleash his inner Jayasuriya. Sometimes the greatest inventions are not born of rigorous planning and testing but by people going with their guts blindly.
Perhaps a bit off topic but I feel Rashid has immense potential with the bat which is not being utilised at all by AFG management. He has the gift of timing and ridiculously overqualified as a tail ender. They should just try him as opener for a few matches and see how it goes. Who knows they might just unleash his inner Jayasuriya. Sometimes the greatest inventions are not born of rigorous planning and testing but by people going with their guts blindly.
Hyperion66
First Class Player
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2019
- Runs
- 3,011
AFG already has that fear factor or X Factor about them that BD never had in their 3 decades of playing cricket. They can literally shut down any team bar India in subcontinent and that is huge considering how rapidly they improved!! Mighty impressive.
JaDed
Test Star
- Joined
- May 5, 2014
- Runs
- 39,217
Lanka had spinners, batsmen ,captain and lets not forget Vaas, whose line and length was remarkable.
Also Desilva in middle order is a Lankan GOAT.
Also Desilva in middle order is a Lankan GOAT.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
They have this spirit about them - not many teams can match that the moment
The Viper
T20I Debutant
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2018
- Runs
- 6,865
Andy Moles appointed as Director of Cricket and Chief Selector.
Mr. Moles served as interim head coach of Afghanistan in the recently concluded tour of Bangladesh. He has a vast experience of over 25 years in the sport and is a Level-4 Coach as well.
Mr. Moles served as interim head coach of Afghanistan in the recently concluded tour of Bangladesh. He has a vast experience of over 25 years in the sport and is a Level-4 Coach as well.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
Asghar Afghan has been named to lead a 15-member Afghanistan squad for their three-match T20I series against Ireland in India.
Shapoor Zadran, the pace bowler, who last played a T20I in June 2018, returns to the international fold on the back of a resurgent domestic performance, including 4/31 in his last match at the Shpageeza Cricket League.
Usman Ghani, who hasn't featured for his country since February last year in the matches against Ireland, also makes a comeback.
Much is expected from two promising 19-year-olds: Azmatullah Omarzai, the medium-pace-bowling all-rounder, is in line for his international debut, while Qais Ahmed, the leg-spinner, who has played one Test and represented Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League this season could make his T20I debut.
Chief Selector Andy Moles confirmed that Hazrat Zazai's fitness had improved, and was all praise for the potential debutants.
The two teams will play three T20Is in Noida, on 6, 8 and 10 March, in a series that will serve as vital preparation for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
Squad: Asghar Afghan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Najib Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Naveen ul Haq, Shapoor Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Azmatullah Omarzai, Samiullah Shinwari, Usman Ghani.
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1604064
Shapoor Zadran, the pace bowler, who last played a T20I in June 2018, returns to the international fold on the back of a resurgent domestic performance, including 4/31 in his last match at the Shpageeza Cricket League.
Usman Ghani, who hasn't featured for his country since February last year in the matches against Ireland, also makes a comeback.
Much is expected from two promising 19-year-olds: Azmatullah Omarzai, the medium-pace-bowling all-rounder, is in line for his international debut, while Qais Ahmed, the leg-spinner, who has played one Test and represented Hobart Hurricanes in the Big Bash League this season could make his T20I debut.
Chief Selector Andy Moles confirmed that Hazrat Zazai's fitness had improved, and was all praise for the potential debutants.
The two teams will play three T20Is in Noida, on 6, 8 and 10 March, in a series that will serve as vital preparation for the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in Australia later this year.
Squad: Asghar Afghan (c), Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Hazratullah Zazai, Karim Janat, Najib Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Gulbadin Naib, Rashid Khan, Naveen ul Haq, Shapoor Zadran, Mujeeb ur Rahman, Qais Ahmad, Azmatullah Omarzai, Samiullah Shinwari, Usman Ghani.
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1604064
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
Reports indicate that Shafiqullah Shafaq has been banned from all cricket for six years after the cricketer accepted four charges of breaching the ACB anti-corruption code
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Sunday banned wicketkeeper-batsman Shafiqullah Shafaq from all forms of cricket for a period of six years after he accepted four charges related to the breaching of the ACB Anti-Corruption Code.
Coronavirus Outbreak Coverage | Sports News
The charges relate to the first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League T20 (APL T20) in 2018 and the 2019 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
Shafaf breached four Articles of the Anti-Corruption Code dealing with match-fixing to failing to report fixing.
Under the provisions of the Code, Shafaq chose to admit the charges levied against him and agreed to the sanctions by the ACB in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing.
Addressing the matter, ACB's Senior Anti-Corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said: "This is a very serious offence where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his teammates to engage in corruption in another high-profile game during the BPL 2019."
"It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB's ACU. Our coverage is vaster than what is perceived," he added.
The 30-year-old right-handed batsman played 24 ODIs for Afghanistan and scored 430 runs including two fifties. In 46 T20Is, he amassed 494 runs with the highest score of 51*.
He last featured in the T20I game against Bangladesh in September 2019.
https://www.outlookindia.com/websit...-from-all-forms-of-cricket-for-6-years/352488
Coronavirus Outbreak Coverage | Sports News
The charges relate to the first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League T20 (APL T20) in 2018 and the 2019 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
Shafaf breached four Articles of the Anti-Corruption Code dealing with match-fixing to failing to report fixing.
Under the provisions of the Code, Shafaq chose to admit the charges levied against him and agreed to the sanctions by the ACB in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing.
Addressing the matter, ACB's Senior Anti-Corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said: "This is a very serious offence where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his teammates to engage in corruption in another high-profile game during the BPL 2019."
"It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB's ACU. Our coverage is vaster than what is perceived," he added.
The 30-year-old right-handed batsman played 24 ODIs for Afghanistan and scored 430 runs including two fifties. In 46 T20Is, he amassed 494 runs with the highest score of 51*.
He last featured in the T20I game against Bangladesh in September 2019.
https://www.outlookindia.com/websit...-from-all-forms-of-cricket-for-6-years/352488
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has banned national team player Shafiqullah Shafaq from all forms of cricket for a period of six years after he accepted four charges related to the breaching of the ACB Anti-Corruption Code.
The charges relate to the first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League T20 (APL T20) in 2018 and the 2019 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
The following are the articles of the Anti-Corruption code that were breached by Shafaq:
Breach of Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match, including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.”
Breach of Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match …”
Breach of Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.”
Breach of Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.”
Under the provisions of the Code, Mr. Shafaq chose to admit the charges levied against him and agreed to the sanctions by ACB in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing.
Addressing the matter, ACB's Senior Anti-Corruption manager, Mr. Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said: “This is a very serious offence where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his teammates to engage in corruption in another high-profile game during the BPL 2019."
Quraishi further remarked: “It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB's ACU. Our coverage is vaster than what is perceived.”
He further continued “During our educational program, we always instruct players to report each suspicious activity in order to keep the game cricket and their own careers clean of any corrupt practices."
Mr. Quraishi also pointed out that without Mr Shafaq’s admission of guilt and full cooperation with ACU throughout the investigation, the ban could have been significantly longer. He concluded that Shafaq is willing to contribute to ACB ACU's future integrity education programs to help younger players learn from his mistakes.
The charges relate to the first edition of the Afghanistan Premier League T20 (APL T20) in 2018 and the 2019 edition of the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL).
The following are the articles of the Anti-Corruption code that were breached by Shafaq:
Breach of Article 2.1.1 – Fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix or contrive in any way or otherwise influence improperly, the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match, including (without limitation) by deliberately underperforming therein.”
Breach of Article 2.1.3 – Seeking, accepting, offering or agreeing to accept any bribe or other Reward to (a) fix or to contrive in any way or otherwise to influence improperly the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of any Domestic Match …”
Breach of Article 2.1.4 – Attempting to solicit, induce, entice, persuade, encourage or intentionally facilitate a Participant to breach Article 2.1.”
Breach of Article 2.4.4 – Failing to disclose to the Designated Anti-Corruption Official (without unnecessary delay) full details of any approaches or invitations received by a Participant to engage in Corrupt Conduct under ACB Anti-Corruption Code.”
Under the provisions of the Code, Mr. Shafaq chose to admit the charges levied against him and agreed to the sanctions by ACB in lieu of an Anti-Corruption Tribunal hearing.
Addressing the matter, ACB's Senior Anti-Corruption manager, Mr. Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said: “This is a very serious offence where a senior national player is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in APL T20 2018. The player had also attempted but failed to get one of his teammates to engage in corruption in another high-profile game during the BPL 2019."
Quraishi further remarked: “It is an alert for all those players who think their illegal activities concerning the game of cricket will not be disclosed to the ACB's ACU. Our coverage is vaster than what is perceived.”
He further continued “During our educational program, we always instruct players to report each suspicious activity in order to keep the game cricket and their own careers clean of any corrupt practices."
Mr. Quraishi also pointed out that without Mr Shafaq’s admission of guilt and full cooperation with ACU throughout the investigation, the ban could have been significantly longer. He concluded that Shafaq is willing to contribute to ACB ACU's future integrity education programs to help younger players learn from his mistakes.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
Cricket boards across the globe stare at huge financial losses as they grapple with the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), too, is feeling the heat with no cricketing action and lack of sponsors.
The ACB, which became a full-member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017, has already announced a 25 per cent salary cut for its national team coaches - Lance Klusener, H. D. Ackermann and Nawroz Mangal - and will review the players’ salary structures in June to take a call on whether a pay cut is necessary.
“The player salaries will be reviewed in June and we will take a call on whether or not we will be making cuts to the players salaries as well. They have been paid salaries for the first three months this year,” ACB’s chief executive officer, Lutfullah Stanikzai, told Sportstar from Kabul.
With its finances hit, the board had to reduce by 25 per cent salary for the coaches in May, and there are possibilities of a 50 per cent cut in case situation does not improve. “The national team support staff has been impacted. We have tried to protect jobs, we have not terminated any contracts , nor fired anyone yet. But they are the highly paid staff at the ACB, so when there is a loss of revenue, we have to take this decision of pay cuts to the national team support staff,” Stanikzai said.
Reliance on ICC
At a time when there is no clarity on when cricket will resume again, the ACB hopes that the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup goes ahead as per schedule. “As a relatively young board, we rely heavily on the distribution of the ICC. That is going to impact us next year and beyond if the T20 World Cup is cancelled and the Asia Cup doesn’t take place,” the CEO said.
Ahead of the Asia Cup, the ACB had decided to play a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, but now even that looks dicey.
“Cricket has come to a standstill in the whole country. Our domestic competitions have either been postponed or cancelled. Our international tours have also been impacted. We were supposed to travel to Sri Lanka for an A tour, which has been postponed. We were supposed to travel to Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series, that’s also in limbo and at risk because there is no international flight,” Stanikzai said, adding: “There is uncertainty as to when international cricket will be resumed. The cancellation of events and losing sponsors have put us in difficulties.”
Being a full member, the ACB is entitled to a distribution cost from the ICC for featuring in the global events. So far, the ACB has received 50 per cent of the distribution costs for 2020 from the ICC in January, which amounted to USD 2.4 million approx).
Important year ahead
But how much of a loss will the ACB suffer if there is no cricket in the near future? “It will be difficult to put a figure to it since we are at the first half of the year. By mid-June, when we do our review, we will have a better understanding of the loss,” Stanikzai said.
He added: “The important year for us is next year because we are playing a lot of international cricket in 2021. So, it is important that we go with a good financial health in 2021.”
Afghanistan plays its home games in India - in Greater Noida and Lucknow. But will there be any cost-cutting on that front, too?
“We use the facilities in India on a series-by-series basis. It has to be in consultation with local associations and the BCCI. Overall, the impact has been quite evident and no cricket has happened. The loss of sponsors and loss of revenue are the major concerns,” Stanikzai said.
Future uncertain
Some cricket boards have shown keenness on playing in front of empty stadiums. However, Stanikzai admits that the game will no longer be the same after the pandemic. “It is difficult to make a prediction as to when things will be normal again. It all depends on the lockdown imposed by certain countries, also depends on where we play or host our matches - including India - also in Afghanistan. Once things are back to normal, at least for the next year or so, it will be quite difficult to give confidence to fans and others which they had previously. It is important that we take prevention measures. Health and safety of staff, players and all other stakeholders have been the No. 1 priority,” the CEO said.
Even before the coronavirus hit, the ACB suffered a financial setback as one of its major sponsors - Alokozay Group of Companies (AGC) - cancelled its contract last year owing to differences. Even during the lockdown, Indian company Tyka - which signed up as a clothes sponsor with the ACB - terminated its contract, adding to the woes of the Afghan board.
The road ahead is tough as the ACB has a lot of international assignments lined up next year.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...ay-cut-stanikzai-icc-bcci/article31568009.ece
The ACB, which became a full-member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017, has already announced a 25 per cent salary cut for its national team coaches - Lance Klusener, H. D. Ackermann and Nawroz Mangal - and will review the players’ salary structures in June to take a call on whether a pay cut is necessary.
“The player salaries will be reviewed in June and we will take a call on whether or not we will be making cuts to the players salaries as well. They have been paid salaries for the first three months this year,” ACB’s chief executive officer, Lutfullah Stanikzai, told Sportstar from Kabul.
With its finances hit, the board had to reduce by 25 per cent salary for the coaches in May, and there are possibilities of a 50 per cent cut in case situation does not improve. “The national team support staff has been impacted. We have tried to protect jobs, we have not terminated any contracts , nor fired anyone yet. But they are the highly paid staff at the ACB, so when there is a loss of revenue, we have to take this decision of pay cuts to the national team support staff,” Stanikzai said.
Reliance on ICC
At a time when there is no clarity on when cricket will resume again, the ACB hopes that the T20 World Cup and the Asia Cup goes ahead as per schedule. “As a relatively young board, we rely heavily on the distribution of the ICC. That is going to impact us next year and beyond if the T20 World Cup is cancelled and the Asia Cup doesn’t take place,” the CEO said.
Ahead of the Asia Cup, the ACB had decided to play a five-match T20I series against Zimbabwe, but now even that looks dicey.
“Cricket has come to a standstill in the whole country. Our domestic competitions have either been postponed or cancelled. Our international tours have also been impacted. We were supposed to travel to Sri Lanka for an A tour, which has been postponed. We were supposed to travel to Zimbabwe for a five-match T20I series, that’s also in limbo and at risk because there is no international flight,” Stanikzai said, adding: “There is uncertainty as to when international cricket will be resumed. The cancellation of events and losing sponsors have put us in difficulties.”
Being a full member, the ACB is entitled to a distribution cost from the ICC for featuring in the global events. So far, the ACB has received 50 per cent of the distribution costs for 2020 from the ICC in January, which amounted to USD 2.4 million approx).
Important year ahead
But how much of a loss will the ACB suffer if there is no cricket in the near future? “It will be difficult to put a figure to it since we are at the first half of the year. By mid-June, when we do our review, we will have a better understanding of the loss,” Stanikzai said.
He added: “The important year for us is next year because we are playing a lot of international cricket in 2021. So, it is important that we go with a good financial health in 2021.”
Afghanistan plays its home games in India - in Greater Noida and Lucknow. But will there be any cost-cutting on that front, too?
“We use the facilities in India on a series-by-series basis. It has to be in consultation with local associations and the BCCI. Overall, the impact has been quite evident and no cricket has happened. The loss of sponsors and loss of revenue are the major concerns,” Stanikzai said.
Future uncertain
Some cricket boards have shown keenness on playing in front of empty stadiums. However, Stanikzai admits that the game will no longer be the same after the pandemic. “It is difficult to make a prediction as to when things will be normal again. It all depends on the lockdown imposed by certain countries, also depends on where we play or host our matches - including India - also in Afghanistan. Once things are back to normal, at least for the next year or so, it will be quite difficult to give confidence to fans and others which they had previously. It is important that we take prevention measures. Health and safety of staff, players and all other stakeholders have been the No. 1 priority,” the CEO said.
Even before the coronavirus hit, the ACB suffered a financial setback as one of its major sponsors - Alokozay Group of Companies (AGC) - cancelled its contract last year owing to differences. Even during the lockdown, Indian company Tyka - which signed up as a clothes sponsor with the ACB - terminated its contract, adding to the woes of the Afghan board.
The road ahead is tough as the ACB has a lot of international assignments lined up next year.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...ay-cut-stanikzai-icc-bcci/article31568009.ece
Shutdown Corner
Local Club Star
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2014
- Runs
- 2,078
Trying to figure out how a team with an X factor has only won 1 game (that too against Scotland) in 15 World Cup games.
BoomBoomCricket
First Class Captain
- Joined
- Oct 25, 2009
- Runs
- 5,834
- Post of the Week
- 2
They will never ever host an international game in the next 10-20 years. Difficult to develop with no cricket at home.
Pakpak
ODI Debutant
- Joined
- Jan 31, 2009
- Runs
- 9,234
Their team is a joke, only good for T20s here or there. After the disgusting way Afghan fans behaved compared to fantastic support we get from Bangladesh everytime we play there despite 71, I find it impossible to supoort Afghanistan in anything anymore.
That’s their biggest advantage - the war situation at home & geo-politics. It has first given exposure to their youngsters to learn this game from Pakistan; now it’s BCCI (India) that’s providing them world class facilities and technical support.
Take out IND/PAK out of that equation - you could have seen how naturally talented their cricketers are. And, we probably already know what makes their U19 “boys” so dominant in junior level cricket.
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
From a sensational debut in Test cricket, with match-winning figures of 8 for 64 against India in Calcutta in 1996, to heartbreak in the World Cup semifinal in 1999 - Lance Klusener has experienced many ups and downs in his long and illustrious career.
But, the 48-year-old cannot imagine when was the last time he had such a long break from cricket.
As the world grapples with coronavirus pandemic, there hasn’t been any cricketing activities for nearly three months, and Klusener - who is now the head coach of Afghanistan cricket team - admits that it will take some time for things to get back on track.
The pandemic has also impacted the finances. With sources of funding drying up fast, Klusener and his colleagues at the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had to take a 25 per cent salary cut.
However, he is optimistic that once things ease out, Afghanistan players will be able to bounce back.
In a chat with Sportstar, the former South African all-rounder opened up on a range of issues.
Cricket has been hit hard due to the pandemic. Being the head coach of Afghanistan, how do you see the way forward?
It’s tough to say. If we are not going to have the T20 World Cup or the Asia Cup, then we will have to look for quite a few bilateral series. The team will try and arrange fixtures against oppositions, which weren’t scheduled.
How much of an impact has the lockdown had on the Afghanistan team?
We did not have a lot of fixtures planned. Our biggest thing was the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. In terms of that, it has affected us. It has basically cancelled all our fixtures. Now, for example, if there is no Asia Cup or T20 World Cup this year, then it will affect us big time. We need to be proactive in trying to organise bilateral series or other fixtures, which were not scheduled originally. So yeah, in terms of fixtures, it has wiped up our whole year.
Some of the teams have already resumed practice, maintaining the health guidelines. What’s the status with Afghanistan?
We have tried to keep them going, on online platforms, showing them videos of opposition and trying to stimulate their minds. We can’t get on to the field, and there is only so much you can do online, without being interactive. That’s being really limited. We have challenged them physically to keep up in terms of fitness. There have been fitness videos posted online.
There was Ramadan in between, so it was a challenge for the boys as well. Afghanistan has been hit hard by the virus as well like other countries. It has been a challenge. If we are permitted by the government, we will try and get some camps going in June. However, our focus – from the administration’s point of view – is to try and pick as many fixtures as we can.
How do you plan to go about it?
The boys have been inactive for close to two months, so they will have to slowly get into the swing of things. We have to monitor the bowlers’ workloads, build up fitness levels again, so that will be something how the training camps will look.
And then, in terms of fixtures, everybody is trying to jump in and get involved in the process. Friends, other coaches, other administrators – who you have relations with – could be reached and see whether we can fit in a few fixtures.
The pandemic has also had an impact on the finances. Your thoughts?
It’s extremely difficult. You mentioned about finances, we all had to take pay cuts, which I guess is the norm these days. We need to be playing games, we need to be selling TV rights to fund our cricket. We really are hoping to bring Afghanistan on TV.
Who is the best Test cricket captain of them all?
That’s where comes the support of bigger nations. They should come to the party and host us for a few games, if none of the two big tournaments (Asia Cup and T20 World Cup) take place
Afghanistan will be playing a lone day-night Test against Australia this year. What are your thoughts?
It will be a big opportunity for players and they will be tested at the highest level. So, that’s a challenge for players, coaches and everybody to make sure that they are prepared. It only being roughly our fourth Test match (fifth), it’s going to be a big, big challenge and a learning opportunity as well. We need to thank Australia for accommodating us.
When the action resumes, there will be a lot of rule changes. What are your thoughts on the ban on the use of saliva for ball shining?
Saliva will make it a little bit of a difference. It won’t be a huge difference. There are various substances which invariably will find their way on to a cricket ball somehow. If we can’t use saliva, then there might be something that we can use like a certain wax product or whatever, which is available to all teams for a limited amount, in each innings.
That will certainly help and it will certainly be something that will help people stay away from the habit of using saliva to shine the ball. That will also take away having to do anything with the wicket.
With so many changes coming in after the pandemic, do you think it will be a challenge for the coaches as well? How do you plan to address it?
It’s a learning curve all around. There are a lot of habits that just come naturally, like putting saliva on the ball, celebrating with hugs, shaking hands to name a few. So we might just need to wary of that for a while.
Hopefully, down the line, we can find a vaccine or something that can take care of it. But we need to be extremely careful, certainly getting back into the sport. Players have got a lot of learning too and coaches too need to get a little bit innovative. We might need to train in smaller groups. For example, we might need to have groups of batters in the morning - it might make longer days for coaches as well if that’s the way training needs to go.
Everybody is just waiting to get back onto the park in any shape or form they can- even if it means no spectators, or whatever it is. It’s going to be a real shame but we gotta make do with what we are allowed to do at the time.
Sangakkara on T20 World Cup: One option could be to postpone it
But yeah, it’s gonna be different, not just cricket, but all sports are gonna be very different for a certain amount of time, going forward. We can just hope and pray and that the smart people can find us a vaccine or something like it that will take care of it. But it will be different, there will be challenges - for umpires and administrators as well.
Bio-bubble seems to be the buzzword in cricket at the moment. Do you think in international cricket, where calendars are chock-a-block, it is a sustainable model?
Yes, it will be difficult. There will be quarantines as well. Can we train during quarantine? You know people then returning to their countries, will we have to remain in two-week quarantine before we are released to our families? Yeah, quite difficult and testing times. Some countries can’t travel, some can, some borders are closed.
Just really envisage longer time on the road. With quarantine, you might have a situation where you have three T20 games but you might have to quarantine in that country where you are going to for two weeks, then quarantine when you get back home for another two weeks. That means four weeks of quarantine potentially if that’s the way things go.
That could be quite testing. No one really knows. So I guess not just the cricketers, the general public are going to accept, embrace the sport and love sport in any way they can. I don’t think there are many people - whether they play sport or watch sport - will take it for granted in the near future.
Let’s talk a bit about South African cricket. The Proteas have been blessed with fast bowling all-rounders over the years. After Clive Rice, Brian McMillan, you and Shaun Pollock carried forward the legacy. Do you think the current squad lacks that?
I think I saw some decent all-rounders. I just speak from a South African point of view - they are there, but the difference is I think - small differences- you’ve got Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo. The difference is that they are bowling mid 120s, whereas all-rounders such as Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis were all bowling mid 140s - that does elevate you certainly from a bowling point of view into a different space.
So, I don’t think there is a lack of quality. I think that on any given day, those are seriously good all-rounders. But the small differences is that 20 kmph in bowling speed, that sets those all-rounders apart.
Do you think Clive Rice would have been as successful and well known as Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev or Imran Khan if he had a full international career?
I had the privilege of being at the National Academy with Clive Rice as the head coach, so even my batting style - I took quite a bit from Clive. I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with him, playing with him back in Kua Zulu Natal, when he played there as well. So, Clive definitely played a big part in my career.
Unfortunately, I got him towards the very end of his career. But definitely, given the opportunity at the international level, he was a phenomenal all-rounder. His record speaks for itself, in county cricket as well.
Apartheid did rob the world of not just cricketers, many other sportsmen didn’t get that opportunity. But that’s just the way life is. It is important for us who are given that opportunity we make the very best of it.
You are regarded as one of the finest all-rounders of South Africa. But as a youngster, what was your biggest dream?
Growing up in South Africa, dream wasn’t certainly to play cricket for a living. We grew up in the Apartheid era when South Africa was banned and our biggest achievement, I guess, would be playing for our states. Dreams of playing for states, (came after seeing) icons like Graeme Pollock, Clive Rice - we used to idolise them and try and emulate.
For us, growing up in those years, it was more of a dream to be like somebody you had seen in the newspapers. Because we did not have television sets those days. But the dream of playing for the country finally materialised in the early 1990s, when it did become possible. And then I did finally realise that maybe I was good enough to have some sort of career on the cricket field. We dreamed very differently in those days.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...-this-year-lance-klusener/article31714314.ece
But, the 48-year-old cannot imagine when was the last time he had such a long break from cricket.
As the world grapples with coronavirus pandemic, there hasn’t been any cricketing activities for nearly three months, and Klusener - who is now the head coach of Afghanistan cricket team - admits that it will take some time for things to get back on track.
The pandemic has also impacted the finances. With sources of funding drying up fast, Klusener and his colleagues at the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had to take a 25 per cent salary cut.
However, he is optimistic that once things ease out, Afghanistan players will be able to bounce back.
In a chat with Sportstar, the former South African all-rounder opened up on a range of issues.
Cricket has been hit hard due to the pandemic. Being the head coach of Afghanistan, how do you see the way forward?
It’s tough to say. If we are not going to have the T20 World Cup or the Asia Cup, then we will have to look for quite a few bilateral series. The team will try and arrange fixtures against oppositions, which weren’t scheduled.
How much of an impact has the lockdown had on the Afghanistan team?
We did not have a lot of fixtures planned. Our biggest thing was the Asia Cup and the T20 World Cup. In terms of that, it has affected us. It has basically cancelled all our fixtures. Now, for example, if there is no Asia Cup or T20 World Cup this year, then it will affect us big time. We need to be proactive in trying to organise bilateral series or other fixtures, which were not scheduled originally. So yeah, in terms of fixtures, it has wiped up our whole year.
Some of the teams have already resumed practice, maintaining the health guidelines. What’s the status with Afghanistan?
We have tried to keep them going, on online platforms, showing them videos of opposition and trying to stimulate their minds. We can’t get on to the field, and there is only so much you can do online, without being interactive. That’s being really limited. We have challenged them physically to keep up in terms of fitness. There have been fitness videos posted online.
There was Ramadan in between, so it was a challenge for the boys as well. Afghanistan has been hit hard by the virus as well like other countries. It has been a challenge. If we are permitted by the government, we will try and get some camps going in June. However, our focus – from the administration’s point of view – is to try and pick as many fixtures as we can.
How do you plan to go about it?
The boys have been inactive for close to two months, so they will have to slowly get into the swing of things. We have to monitor the bowlers’ workloads, build up fitness levels again, so that will be something how the training camps will look.
And then, in terms of fixtures, everybody is trying to jump in and get involved in the process. Friends, other coaches, other administrators – who you have relations with – could be reached and see whether we can fit in a few fixtures.
The pandemic has also had an impact on the finances. Your thoughts?
It’s extremely difficult. You mentioned about finances, we all had to take pay cuts, which I guess is the norm these days. We need to be playing games, we need to be selling TV rights to fund our cricket. We really are hoping to bring Afghanistan on TV.
Who is the best Test cricket captain of them all?
That’s where comes the support of bigger nations. They should come to the party and host us for a few games, if none of the two big tournaments (Asia Cup and T20 World Cup) take place
Afghanistan will be playing a lone day-night Test against Australia this year. What are your thoughts?
It will be a big opportunity for players and they will be tested at the highest level. So, that’s a challenge for players, coaches and everybody to make sure that they are prepared. It only being roughly our fourth Test match (fifth), it’s going to be a big, big challenge and a learning opportunity as well. We need to thank Australia for accommodating us.
When the action resumes, there will be a lot of rule changes. What are your thoughts on the ban on the use of saliva for ball shining?
Saliva will make it a little bit of a difference. It won’t be a huge difference. There are various substances which invariably will find their way on to a cricket ball somehow. If we can’t use saliva, then there might be something that we can use like a certain wax product or whatever, which is available to all teams for a limited amount, in each innings.
That will certainly help and it will certainly be something that will help people stay away from the habit of using saliva to shine the ball. That will also take away having to do anything with the wicket.
With so many changes coming in after the pandemic, do you think it will be a challenge for the coaches as well? How do you plan to address it?
It’s a learning curve all around. There are a lot of habits that just come naturally, like putting saliva on the ball, celebrating with hugs, shaking hands to name a few. So we might just need to wary of that for a while.
Hopefully, down the line, we can find a vaccine or something that can take care of it. But we need to be extremely careful, certainly getting back into the sport. Players have got a lot of learning too and coaches too need to get a little bit innovative. We might need to train in smaller groups. For example, we might need to have groups of batters in the morning - it might make longer days for coaches as well if that’s the way training needs to go.
Everybody is just waiting to get back onto the park in any shape or form they can- even if it means no spectators, or whatever it is. It’s going to be a real shame but we gotta make do with what we are allowed to do at the time.
Sangakkara on T20 World Cup: One option could be to postpone it
But yeah, it’s gonna be different, not just cricket, but all sports are gonna be very different for a certain amount of time, going forward. We can just hope and pray and that the smart people can find us a vaccine or something like it that will take care of it. But it will be different, there will be challenges - for umpires and administrators as well.
Bio-bubble seems to be the buzzword in cricket at the moment. Do you think in international cricket, where calendars are chock-a-block, it is a sustainable model?
Yes, it will be difficult. There will be quarantines as well. Can we train during quarantine? You know people then returning to their countries, will we have to remain in two-week quarantine before we are released to our families? Yeah, quite difficult and testing times. Some countries can’t travel, some can, some borders are closed.
Just really envisage longer time on the road. With quarantine, you might have a situation where you have three T20 games but you might have to quarantine in that country where you are going to for two weeks, then quarantine when you get back home for another two weeks. That means four weeks of quarantine potentially if that’s the way things go.
That could be quite testing. No one really knows. So I guess not just the cricketers, the general public are going to accept, embrace the sport and love sport in any way they can. I don’t think there are many people - whether they play sport or watch sport - will take it for granted in the near future.
Let’s talk a bit about South African cricket. The Proteas have been blessed with fast bowling all-rounders over the years. After Clive Rice, Brian McMillan, you and Shaun Pollock carried forward the legacy. Do you think the current squad lacks that?
I think I saw some decent all-rounders. I just speak from a South African point of view - they are there, but the difference is I think - small differences- you’ve got Dwaine Pretorius, Andile Phehlukwayo. The difference is that they are bowling mid 120s, whereas all-rounders such as Shaun Pollock, Jacques Kallis were all bowling mid 140s - that does elevate you certainly from a bowling point of view into a different space.
So, I don’t think there is a lack of quality. I think that on any given day, those are seriously good all-rounders. But the small differences is that 20 kmph in bowling speed, that sets those all-rounders apart.
Do you think Clive Rice would have been as successful and well known as Richard Hadlee, Kapil Dev or Imran Khan if he had a full international career?
I had the privilege of being at the National Academy with Clive Rice as the head coach, so even my batting style - I took quite a bit from Clive. I had the privilege of spending a lot of time with him, playing with him back in Kua Zulu Natal, when he played there as well. So, Clive definitely played a big part in my career.
Unfortunately, I got him towards the very end of his career. But definitely, given the opportunity at the international level, he was a phenomenal all-rounder. His record speaks for itself, in county cricket as well.
Apartheid did rob the world of not just cricketers, many other sportsmen didn’t get that opportunity. But that’s just the way life is. It is important for us who are given that opportunity we make the very best of it.
You are regarded as one of the finest all-rounders of South Africa. But as a youngster, what was your biggest dream?
Growing up in South Africa, dream wasn’t certainly to play cricket for a living. We grew up in the Apartheid era when South Africa was banned and our biggest achievement, I guess, would be playing for our states. Dreams of playing for states, (came after seeing) icons like Graeme Pollock, Clive Rice - we used to idolise them and try and emulate.
For us, growing up in those years, it was more of a dream to be like somebody you had seen in the newspapers. Because we did not have television sets those days. But the dream of playing for the country finally materialised in the early 1990s, when it did become possible. And then I did finally realise that maybe I was good enough to have some sort of career on the cricket field. We dreamed very differently in those days.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...-this-year-lance-klusener/article31714314.ece
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Afghanistan are set to resume training 
<br><br>A 22-man squad will take part in a month-long training camp in Kabul! <a href="https://t.co/geZhKDiCVa">pic.twitter.com/geZhKDiCVa</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1269516946950717441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<br><br>A 22-man squad will take part in a month-long training camp in Kabul! <a href="https://t.co/geZhKDiCVa">pic.twitter.com/geZhKDiCVa</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1269516946950717441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pictures: National players resume training at Kabul Cricket Stadium under relevant health guidelines ! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/AfghanAtalan?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#AfghanAtalan</a> <a href="https://t.co/V1kFNH6vJs">pic.twitter.com/V1kFNH6vJs</a></p>— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACBofficials/status/1269630898590400512?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,980
At 7.30am, Andy Moles was told his left leg would have to be amputated below the knee, or his life could be in danger.
At midday, he went into theatre for the life-altering operation.
The former Warwickshire opener was in hospital for four more days. When he got out, he informed the Afghanistan Cricket Board he was ready to return to work as director of cricket and chairman of selectors and, 10 days later, he did just that.
Now, less than 10 weeks after the operation, and only days after having a prosthetic leg fitted, Moles is already on the way to walking 10km in aid of the Professional Cricketers' Trust.
Moles was with the Afghanistan team in Abu Dhabi, preparing for last September's tour of Bangladesh.
When he returned from a 5km walk in 47C heat, he discovered the skin on the ball of his left foot had gone.
That set off a chain of events that included an infection, a skin graft, two weeks in a Bangladeshi hospital, a spell on crutches and a separate injury to the little toe on the same left foot.
When the toe got infected, it had to be amputated. While Moles was in hospital in South Africa, the place the 59-year-old now calls home, he contracted MRSA in the lower part of his left leg
"The surgeon had been warning me for four or five days that he didn't like the way the infection was spreading, that it might result in an amputation," Moles explains.
"On the morning of 4 April, he told me if they didn't amputate, it could lead to the loss of the whole leg, or septicemia and a threat on my life.
"As difficult a decision as it may seem, it's actually quite simple. I said to him: 'I wouldn't expect you to tell me how to play a forward defensive, so I won't question your expertise as a surgeon.'"
Moles had about four hours to think about what he was about to go through, what he was going to lose and how his life would change forever.
"For half an hour after he left my room, I felt very sorry for myself and I had a wobbly bottom lip," he says.
"Then, I was hit by the selfishness of my actions. I still had my life and two great kids that mean the world to me. Yes, it was going to be difficult, a huge challenge, but people who know me will know I thrive on challenges.
"It is traumatic, but there are thousands of people in the world that have got over this, and I'm going to be one of those people."
Moles had an 11-year career that yielded more than 20,000 runs in first-class and List A cricket.
Part of the Warwickshire side that won three trophies in one summer in 1994, he played with Allan Donald, Brian Lara and Dermot Reeve.
And while the support from former team-mates and opponents was constant in the days and weeks after the operation, Moles kept his news from the wider public because he "doesn't do well with pity".
It was only after a prosthetic leg was fitted last Friday that Moles' brother and his former Warwickshire team-mate Tim Munton release pictures on social media.
Now, Moles - who has had spells coaching New Zealand, Scotland and Kenya, and led Afghanistan at their first World Cup in 2015 - is hoping he can spur all players, past and present, into action.
The Professional Cricketers' Trust, which supports players and their families during and after their playing careers, is facing a shortfall of about £250,000 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
It has launched the #charity10for10, asking those taking part to cycle, run or walk 10km, then donate £10 to the Trust and challenge three others to do the same.
Less than a week after being given his new leg, Moles is already 400m into his 10km, which he wants to complete in increments over the next month.
"At the moment, I use a zimmerframe for support, to stop me from falling over. The goal is to do the last 1,000m unaided."
And he has bigger plans than inviting only three others to join him.
"I'm challenging all cricketers and all ex-players. If I can do 10km with one and a half legs, then all players, past and present, can do the same."
Moles is not only determined to complete the 10km, but also to make a full return to coaching.
"I haven't lost my brain or cricket knowledge," he says. "As far as coaching goes, there's no need for me to be running around a field. I can hit catches, I can pass on messages and I can talk tactics. I don't see it being an issue at all."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/52986894
At midday, he went into theatre for the life-altering operation.
The former Warwickshire opener was in hospital for four more days. When he got out, he informed the Afghanistan Cricket Board he was ready to return to work as director of cricket and chairman of selectors and, 10 days later, he did just that.
Now, less than 10 weeks after the operation, and only days after having a prosthetic leg fitted, Moles is already on the way to walking 10km in aid of the Professional Cricketers' Trust.
Moles was with the Afghanistan team in Abu Dhabi, preparing for last September's tour of Bangladesh.
When he returned from a 5km walk in 47C heat, he discovered the skin on the ball of his left foot had gone.
That set off a chain of events that included an infection, a skin graft, two weeks in a Bangladeshi hospital, a spell on crutches and a separate injury to the little toe on the same left foot.
When the toe got infected, it had to be amputated. While Moles was in hospital in South Africa, the place the 59-year-old now calls home, he contracted MRSA in the lower part of his left leg
"The surgeon had been warning me for four or five days that he didn't like the way the infection was spreading, that it might result in an amputation," Moles explains.
"On the morning of 4 April, he told me if they didn't amputate, it could lead to the loss of the whole leg, or septicemia and a threat on my life.
"As difficult a decision as it may seem, it's actually quite simple. I said to him: 'I wouldn't expect you to tell me how to play a forward defensive, so I won't question your expertise as a surgeon.'"
Moles had about four hours to think about what he was about to go through, what he was going to lose and how his life would change forever.
"For half an hour after he left my room, I felt very sorry for myself and I had a wobbly bottom lip," he says.
"Then, I was hit by the selfishness of my actions. I still had my life and two great kids that mean the world to me. Yes, it was going to be difficult, a huge challenge, but people who know me will know I thrive on challenges.
"It is traumatic, but there are thousands of people in the world that have got over this, and I'm going to be one of those people."
Moles had an 11-year career that yielded more than 20,000 runs in first-class and List A cricket.
Part of the Warwickshire side that won three trophies in one summer in 1994, he played with Allan Donald, Brian Lara and Dermot Reeve.
And while the support from former team-mates and opponents was constant in the days and weeks after the operation, Moles kept his news from the wider public because he "doesn't do well with pity".
It was only after a prosthetic leg was fitted last Friday that Moles' brother and his former Warwickshire team-mate Tim Munton release pictures on social media.
Now, Moles - who has had spells coaching New Zealand, Scotland and Kenya, and led Afghanistan at their first World Cup in 2015 - is hoping he can spur all players, past and present, into action.
The Professional Cricketers' Trust, which supports players and their families during and after their playing careers, is facing a shortfall of about £250,000 as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
It has launched the #charity10for10, asking those taking part to cycle, run or walk 10km, then donate £10 to the Trust and challenge three others to do the same.
Less than a week after being given his new leg, Moles is already 400m into his 10km, which he wants to complete in increments over the next month.
"At the moment, I use a zimmerframe for support, to stop me from falling over. The goal is to do the last 1,000m unaided."
And he has bigger plans than inviting only three others to join him.
"I'm challenging all cricketers and all ex-players. If I can do 10km with one and a half legs, then all players, past and present, can do the same."
Moles is not only determined to complete the 10km, but also to make a full return to coaching.
"I haven't lost my brain or cricket knowledge," he says. "As far as coaching goes, there's no need for me to be running around a field. I can hit catches, I can pass on messages and I can talk tactics. I don't see it being an issue at all."
https://www.bbc.com/sport/cricket/52986894
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The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has terminated the contract of its Chief Executive Officer, Lutfullah Stanikzai, on the grounds of "unsatisfactory performance" and "misbehaviour with managers."
In a letter issued by ACB chief Farhan Yousefzai - a copy of which is with Sportstar - it was mentioned that Stanikzai was sacked two years before his contract expires because of mismanagement.
Stanikzai, who was elevated as the CEO of the board last year, after Asadullah Khan was sacked, has been advised to "handover the entire documents and equipment to the board till July 29, 2020."
While Stanikzai wasn't available for a comment at the time of publishing this story, it has been learnt that the ACB had warned Stanikzai previously after it received complaints from various quarters. Stanikzai had joined the ACB as its media in-charge and gradually rose though the ranks.
In a statement, the ACB stated that the position of Executive Director of the ACB will be announced through open competition and a suitable candidate will be selected keeping in view the principles and policies of Human Resources (HR) of the Board.
Sources in the know of things have suggested that Inamullah Shirzad could replace Stanikzai, even though there's no official word.
The ACB also terminated the contract of its former domestic manager Hasti Gul Abed after he was convicted of falsification of documents and embezzlement during the 2018 Ghazi Amanullah Khan List-A tournament. Abed had previously served at various posts including ACB's domestic cricket manager for an extended period of time and had confessed and accepted the allegations levied against him.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...board-ceo-farhan-yusefzai/article32210451.ece
In a letter issued by ACB chief Farhan Yousefzai - a copy of which is with Sportstar - it was mentioned that Stanikzai was sacked two years before his contract expires because of mismanagement.
Stanikzai, who was elevated as the CEO of the board last year, after Asadullah Khan was sacked, has been advised to "handover the entire documents and equipment to the board till July 29, 2020."
While Stanikzai wasn't available for a comment at the time of publishing this story, it has been learnt that the ACB had warned Stanikzai previously after it received complaints from various quarters. Stanikzai had joined the ACB as its media in-charge and gradually rose though the ranks.
In a statement, the ACB stated that the position of Executive Director of the ACB will be announced through open competition and a suitable candidate will be selected keeping in view the principles and policies of Human Resources (HR) of the Board.
Sources in the know of things have suggested that Inamullah Shirzad could replace Stanikzai, even though there's no official word.
The ACB also terminated the contract of its former domestic manager Hasti Gul Abed after he was convicted of falsification of documents and embezzlement during the 2018 Ghazi Amanullah Khan List-A tournament. Abed had previously served at various posts including ACB's domestic cricket manager for an extended period of time and had confessed and accepted the allegations levied against him.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...board-ceo-farhan-yusefzai/article32210451.ece
anonymous_guy
Tape Ball Star
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If they continue like thi, ACB has the potential to outdo PCB interms of infighting and providing entertainment to the global cricket family.
sweep_shot
Test Captain
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Afghanistan team haven't done that great lately. They won a Test in Bangladesh. But, apart from that, they did very little recently. They also lost 0-9 in the World Cup. They even lost to West Indies in India where Rahkeem Cornwall outdid Afghan spinners.
It seems like their board doesn't make many great decisions and it impacts the team.
It seems like their board doesn't make many great decisions and it impacts the team.
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Former captain Raiees Ahmadzai was on Monday appointed as the Director of Cricket of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), replacing Englishman Andy Moles.
The 35-year-old Ahmadzai, who had played in five ODIs and eight T20Is for Afghanistan between 2009-10, took over from Moles, who was appointed for the dual role of Director of Cricket and Chief Selector last year.
“The purpose of the appointment is to strengthen the technical aspect of the game for the national level team, build the capacity of players and to devise and implement plans and policies for the training and development of players,” the ACB said in a statement.
“Mr. Ahmadzai is an experienced national coach who has previously served at various technical positions in ACB including his assignment as the head coach for Afghanistan U-19 team,” the statement added.
Ahmadzai was a part of the Afghanistan team that progressed to the 2009 ICC World Cup qualifiers and later gained ODI status.
Shortly after playing the 2010 ICC World T20, Ahmadzai announced his retirement from the game.
The ACB had recently appointed allrounder Mohammad Nabi as one of its members.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...ai-as-director-of-cricket/article32430340.ece
The 35-year-old Ahmadzai, who had played in five ODIs and eight T20Is for Afghanistan between 2009-10, took over from Moles, who was appointed for the dual role of Director of Cricket and Chief Selector last year.
“The purpose of the appointment is to strengthen the technical aspect of the game for the national level team, build the capacity of players and to devise and implement plans and policies for the training and development of players,” the ACB said in a statement.
“Mr. Ahmadzai is an experienced national coach who has previously served at various technical positions in ACB including his assignment as the head coach for Afghanistan U-19 team,” the statement added.
Ahmadzai was a part of the Afghanistan team that progressed to the 2009 ICC World Cup qualifiers and later gained ODI status.
Shortly after playing the 2010 ICC World T20, Ahmadzai announced his retirement from the game.
The ACB had recently appointed allrounder Mohammad Nabi as one of its members.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...ai-as-director-of-cricket/article32430340.ece
ExplicitAI
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And they will still get butchered by Pakistan and India in any game they come across 
)
)And they will still get butchered by Pakistan and India in any game they come across
Kindly double check the score cards of last 2 Pakistan vs Afghanistan & last 2 India vs Afghanistan Matches.
RyanRyan10
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Don't understand the criticism for them by some posters here. They have been promoted to FM status only in 2017 and have already won a few matches against the lower ranked FMs. WC was a disappointment but they were brilliant in the Asia Cup. Their players are more in demand for t20 leagues than the likes of SRL, Zim and BD.
ExplicitAI
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I honestly felt Pak purposely took the game close to them in the WC so it would sting them badly for years, their bowling isn't as strong as it seems since the likes of Morgan carted them everywhere. We do underestimate weak teams like Afg who are super motivated to win against Pak due to political and traumatic reasons so the game does end up being a close one I will admit, however they have not beaten us in an international game before since 2012.
Major
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Afghanistan has a good bowling talent.
Problem is, during the last wordl cup, political appoitments and the removal of asghar stanikzai
I have followed afghab crixket and let me tell you, gulbaddin naib was never a regular in the team. He was just a guy who had muscle and they decided to use him as a tullaybaaz in the lower order.
He was in and out of the team. Him being made captain than those selection of players was ridiculous
ExplicitAI
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I do not rate Rashid at all, top teams can play him with ease and with his "age" being the talking point since he made his debut I don't think he'll be playing for a long time; most likely will look to retire soon and play T20 leagues. He picks up wickets against weak teams to show his stats off to the world. Teams like Bangladesh are light years ahead of Afghanistan. They should not ever compare themselves to Pak ever, you had C-D grade Punjabi players like Farhat carting their players everywhere for fun.
Corridor of Uncertainty
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Afghanistan have done very well since reentry. Yes they will lose a lot more than they will win - but they have already won a lot, done extremely well in white ball cricket and have some excellent talents.
They are already a team worthy of winning on their day, particularly if opposition slips or collapses, such as Pakistan on one of their frequent 'off' days with the bat. Can't say this about some other teams 'with' test status.
I think their board has messed with them a lot, upsetting their momentum. Need to continue their development professionally and based on merit.
They are already a team worthy of winning on their day, particularly if opposition slips or collapses, such as Pakistan on one of their frequent 'off' days with the bat. Can't say this about some other teams 'with' test status.
I think their board has messed with them a lot, upsetting their momentum. Need to continue their development professionally and based on merit.
At the time, Pakistan played Afghanistan, Pak was still in the race of semifinal and was trying to improve the net run rate. So, I don’t think it was purposely.
In fact we were a bit lucky that day and for that we should always give credit to Imad Wasim, the guy saved Pakistan from one of the biggest (on field) embarrassment of our cricket history.
But you are right in your assessment, that defeat will hurt Afghanistan for years.
Regarding their bowling, Afghanistan team is heavily dependent on their spinners. They will always trouble the teams, who are weak against spinners, especially while batting second in Asian conditions.
And yes, Morgan massacred Rashid khan in World cup, but it was a flat wicket.
Afghanistan is a team, which can surprise any team on their day. No team should take them easy.
Major
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Rashid khan isnt a test quality bowler.
In odi's i rate mujeeb ur rehman as the better spinner. Rashid is good, we need to remember that he is a legspinner. Legspinners do get hit for runs.
Major
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england also massacred Yuzvendra aswell.
Afghanistan cricket is going the Pakistan route. THey have inboard fights going on, captaincy being thrown around.
Im not even joking, but Misbah would benefit alot by coaching Afghanistan.
ExplicitAI
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I personally think we shouldn't even think of sending our former players to help Afg otherwise we'll shoot ourselves in the foot; not worth ruining Pak cricketers mental health, being subject to racism, self-respect, time and money. We should just focus on ourselves, look to get foreign management in our system and if we ever face Afg in the future then we should play our strongest XI and wallop them every time and move on.
Mujeeb is pretty good against weaker sides but he will get massacred by the big boys. We'll be in for some tantalising batting displays against this guy when he plays top 8 sides.
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The Afghanistan Cricket Board on Monday banned coach Noor Mohammad Lalai for a period of five years as he was found guilty of approaching a national cricketer to fix matches in the previous edition of the Shpageeza Cricket League.
In the midst of the last edition of SCL, reports suggested that a national team player was approached by Noor Mohammad Lalai with some kind of "work", which later turned out to be an offer of spot-fixing in a few matches during the course of the tournament.
"This is a very disappointing and serious offence where a domestic-level junior coach is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in SCL 2019," ACB's senior anti-corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said on Monday.
"The coach, as an agent, tried to get one of the national team players to engage in corruption of spot fixing of a few matches in SCL 2019. Luckily, he (the coach) failed to do so as he was reported.
"I would like to place on record my grateful appreciation and thanks to the player who displayed true bravery and professionalism from the moment he reported this approach.
"He recognized it for what it was, rejected it and reported it. He then supported our investigation and subsequent tribunal."
Also Read: Andre Russell Hilariously Mimics Rashid Khan's Trademark Celebration
The offence that Noor Mohammad was found guilty of was 'fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix.'
Under the provisions of the Code, Noor Mohammad chose to admit the charges levied against him and agreed to the sanctions by ACB.
https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...approach-to-national-team-player-2857285.html
In the midst of the last edition of SCL, reports suggested that a national team player was approached by Noor Mohammad Lalai with some kind of "work", which later turned out to be an offer of spot-fixing in a few matches during the course of the tournament.
"This is a very disappointing and serious offence where a domestic-level junior coach is involved in the corruption of a high-profile domestic game in SCL 2019," ACB's senior anti-corruption manager Sayed Anwar Shah Quraishi said on Monday.
"The coach, as an agent, tried to get one of the national team players to engage in corruption of spot fixing of a few matches in SCL 2019. Luckily, he (the coach) failed to do so as he was reported.
"I would like to place on record my grateful appreciation and thanks to the player who displayed true bravery and professionalism from the moment he reported this approach.
"He recognized it for what it was, rejected it and reported it. He then supported our investigation and subsequent tribunal."
Also Read: Andre Russell Hilariously Mimics Rashid Khan's Trademark Celebration
The offence that Noor Mohammad was found guilty of was 'fixing or contriving in any way or otherwise influencing improperly, or being a party to any agreement or effort to fix.'
Under the provisions of the Code, Noor Mohammad chose to admit the charges levied against him and agreed to the sanctions by ACB.
https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...approach-to-national-team-player-2857285.html
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ACB and Afghanistan Cricket Loving Nation mourns the heart breaking & grievous loss of its aggressive opening batsman & a very fine human being Najeeb Tarakai (29) who lost his life to tragic traffic accident leaving us all shocked!
May Allah Shower His Mercy on him https://t.co/Ne1EWtymnO
Tarakai had featured in one T20I and 12 ODIs for Afghanistan, primarily as an opening batsman. His T20I best of 90 came against Ireland in 2017.
He averaged a healthy 47.20 in first-class cricket, including a career-high 200 and had six centuries against his name. After being the top scorer for Speen Ghar Tigers in the Shpageeza Cricket League last year, he was part of the Mis Ainak Knights squad in their run to the finals last month.
May Allah Shower His Mercy on him https://t.co/Ne1EWtymnO
Tarakai had featured in one T20I and 12 ODIs for Afghanistan, primarily as an opening batsman. His T20I best of 90 came against Ireland in 2017.
He averaged a healthy 47.20 in first-class cricket, including a career-high 200 and had six centuries against his name. After being the top scorer for Speen Ghar Tigers in the Shpageeza Cricket League last year, he was part of the Mis Ainak Knights squad in their run to the finals last month.
Last edited:
Amirforpresident
Local Club Regular
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Thats so sad 
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un
Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un
The Viper
T20I Debutant
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">ACB leadership have decided to name the Behsood Stadium in Nangarhar after the late Najeeb Tarakai. The decision was taken considering the fact that Tarakai was loved by the nation and had represented Afghanistan with pride and valor as a player. <br><br>More: <a href="https://t.co/PuiErcoThf">https://t.co/PuiErcoThf</a> <a href="https://t.co/0JPBVPvtbO">pic.twitter.com/0JPBVPvtbO</a></p>— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) <a href="https://twitter.com/ACBofficials/status/1313815074583318528?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 7, 2020</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
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Afghanistan will host Ireland cricket side for a three-match ODI series in January 2021. The matches which are scheduled to be held on 18th, 21st and 23rd January respectively, are part of the ODI Super League for the 2023 ICC World Cup.
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Australia Set To Host Afghanistan For One-Off Test In 2021Australia vs Afghanistan: The visitors will be hoping to notch their third Test win, when they face the home side in 2021.
Both sides were supposed to face each other this year Afghanistan obtained Test status in 2017Australia are currently facing India in an ongoing Test series
Australia will host Afghanistan for a solitary Test match in November next year as per the agreement between Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Cricket Australia (CA). ACB in a statement said the postponed Test against Australia will now be played in 2021. The Test was originally scheduled to be played from November 21 this year at Perth Stadium but due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Cricket Australia called-off the Test and decided to hold it at a later date. Afghanistan obtained Test status in 2017 and has played four Test matches so far, winning two of them against Ireland and Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Australia are currently hosting India for the four-match Test series. The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the series after defeating India by eight-wicket in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Both the sides will now lock horns in the second Test which will be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26. Ajinkya Rahane is set to take on the role of stand-in captain in the remaining three games of the series as skipper Virat Kohli will return home after being granted paternity leave by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/australia-set-to-host-afghanistan-for-one-off-test-in-2021-2340993
Both sides were supposed to face each other this year Afghanistan obtained Test status in 2017Australia are currently facing India in an ongoing Test series
Australia will host Afghanistan for a solitary Test match in November next year as per the agreement between Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Cricket Australia (CA). ACB in a statement said the postponed Test against Australia will now be played in 2021. The Test was originally scheduled to be played from November 21 this year at Perth Stadium but due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Cricket Australia called-off the Test and decided to hold it at a later date. Afghanistan obtained Test status in 2017 and has played four Test matches so far, winning two of them against Ireland and Bangladesh.
On the other hand, Australia are currently hosting India for the four-match Test series. The hosts took a 1-0 lead in the series after defeating India by eight-wicket in the pink-ball Test at Adelaide Oval on Saturday.
Both the sides will now lock horns in the second Test which will be played at Melbourne Cricket Ground from December 26. Ajinkya Rahane is set to take on the role of stand-in captain in the remaining three games of the series as skipper Virat Kohli will return home after being granted paternity leave by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
https://sports.ndtv.com/cricket/australia-set-to-host-afghanistan-for-one-off-test-in-2021-2340993
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Visas approved and teams on their way now
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AFG 151/3 (28.3) CRR: 5.3
Afghanistan opt to bat
Afghanistan opt to bat
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