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First Class Captain
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Rashid Khan.. What a talent he is.
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Afghanistan Cricket
- Thread starter MenInG
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2015
- Runs
- 15,745
Afghanistan [287/9] have defeated Ireland [271/9] by 16 runs in the 1st ODI.
Brilliant all-round performance by Rashid Khan, 55 from 30 balls with the bat and 2/56 with the ball
Brilliant all-round performance by Rashid Khan, 55 from 30 balls with the bat and 2/56 with the ball
- Joined
- Oct 2, 2004
- Runs
- 217,977
ABU DHABI – Career-best ODI performances from Andy McBrine and Lorcan Tucker weren’t enough for Ireland to overcome a strong Afghanistan side in the series opener at Abu Dhabi.
McBrine, who finished with figures of 5-29, ripped through the experienced Afghanistan middle-order, dismissing all of Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib for single figure scores. The wicket of Gulbadin to claim the five-wicket haul was arguably the pick of the bunch, a beautifully flighted off-break from around the wicket, that dipped on Gulbadin, took an inside edge and was caught well by Kevin O’Brien at leg-slip – the third of three catches the all-rounder took off McBrine’s bowling from that position.
McBrine’s intervention was a timely one for Ireland as Afghanistan got off to a flying start after winning the toss and opting to bat first. The Afghanistan opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz – a 19-year-old on ODI debut – and Javed Ahmadi put on 120 for the first wicket before McBrine accounted for Ahmadi, who found Simi Singh in the deep after a period of sustained pressure.
That breakthrough sparked somewhat of a middle-order collapse at the hands of McBrine, whose wickets reduced Afghanistan from 120-0 to 161-5 in the space of 10 overs. Fortunately for Afghanistan, Rahmanullah displayed a kind of maturity that belied his relative inexperience, as the youngster held firm as wickets fell at the other end. Rahmanullah – who was the player of the series in the three-match T20I series between the two sides in 2020 – eventually brought up his maiden ODI hundred in the 35th over, before accelerating to finish on 127, a knock that came at exactly a run per ball.
Rahmanullah’s effort seemed to inspire the Afghanistan lower-order who rallied after the centurion’s dismissal, to take their side from 198-7 to an imposing final total of 287-9 from their 50 overs with the majority of their late innings run-scoring coming off the blade of Rashid Khan, who blasted a 30-ball 55 from No.9.
Afghanistan kept a tight hold on Ireland’s run chase throughout. Right-arm quick Naveen-ul-Haq took two important early wickets, first trapping O’Brien lbw for one before deceiving Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie with a slower ball for 15.
Paul Stirling and Harry Tector brought up a 50-run partnership for the third wicket before both fell in quick succession, as Tector spooned a return catch to Gulbadin off another slower ball before Nabi pinned Stirling in front for 39.
With Ireland 88-4, a rebuilding job was required. Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker combined to put on 86 for the fifth wicket before the former eventually fell lbw to Mujeeb Ur Rahman for 39.
Tucker kicked on, though. He soon brought up a second career ODI half-century and raced past his previous career-best ODI score of 56; he eventually fell on 83, stumped trying to use his feet against Rashid as the asking rate climbed. As assured an innings it was, it wasn’t quite enough for Ireland as they eventually fell 16 runs short.
After the match, captain Balbirnie said:
“We need to be more consistent – we had a lot of starts there, including myself. Their player kicked on and scored a hundred and played really well. That was really the difference between the two sides.”
“But some of our guys are still finding their feet at international cricket and can take a lot of positives. To score 270 on the wicket was good – but in the end it wasn’t enough to win the game today.”
“We pretty much knew what we were up against today with Afghanistan, and on a wicket that began to turn. I thought we played them pretty well today, they’re skillful bowlers, but we are just as skillful with the bat. We’ve just got to work as hard as we can off the pitch, and go again.”
“We’ll probably have a day off tomorrow with the second and third games being so close together. We need to rest, but we also need to keep our skills up – and we’ll aim to collect 10 or 20 points over the next two games.”
MATCH SUMMARY
Afghanistan Men v Ireland Men, 1st ODI, Abu Dhabi, 21 January 2021
Afghanistan 287-9 (50 overs; R Gurbaz 127, R Khan 55*; A McBrine 5-29)
Ireland 271-9 (50 overs; L Tucker 83; Naveen-ul-Haq 3-68)
Afghanistan won by 16 runs
McBrine, who finished with figures of 5-29, ripped through the experienced Afghanistan middle-order, dismissing all of Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib for single figure scores. The wicket of Gulbadin to claim the five-wicket haul was arguably the pick of the bunch, a beautifully flighted off-break from around the wicket, that dipped on Gulbadin, took an inside edge and was caught well by Kevin O’Brien at leg-slip – the third of three catches the all-rounder took off McBrine’s bowling from that position.
McBrine’s intervention was a timely one for Ireland as Afghanistan got off to a flying start after winning the toss and opting to bat first. The Afghanistan opening pair of Rahmanullah Gurbaz – a 19-year-old on ODI debut – and Javed Ahmadi put on 120 for the first wicket before McBrine accounted for Ahmadi, who found Simi Singh in the deep after a period of sustained pressure.
That breakthrough sparked somewhat of a middle-order collapse at the hands of McBrine, whose wickets reduced Afghanistan from 120-0 to 161-5 in the space of 10 overs. Fortunately for Afghanistan, Rahmanullah displayed a kind of maturity that belied his relative inexperience, as the youngster held firm as wickets fell at the other end. Rahmanullah – who was the player of the series in the three-match T20I series between the two sides in 2020 – eventually brought up his maiden ODI hundred in the 35th over, before accelerating to finish on 127, a knock that came at exactly a run per ball.
Rahmanullah’s effort seemed to inspire the Afghanistan lower-order who rallied after the centurion’s dismissal, to take their side from 198-7 to an imposing final total of 287-9 from their 50 overs with the majority of their late innings run-scoring coming off the blade of Rashid Khan, who blasted a 30-ball 55 from No.9.
Afghanistan kept a tight hold on Ireland’s run chase throughout. Right-arm quick Naveen-ul-Haq took two important early wickets, first trapping O’Brien lbw for one before deceiving Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie with a slower ball for 15.
Paul Stirling and Harry Tector brought up a 50-run partnership for the third wicket before both fell in quick succession, as Tector spooned a return catch to Gulbadin off another slower ball before Nabi pinned Stirling in front for 39.
With Ireland 88-4, a rebuilding job was required. Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker combined to put on 86 for the fifth wicket before the former eventually fell lbw to Mujeeb Ur Rahman for 39.
Tucker kicked on, though. He soon brought up a second career ODI half-century and raced past his previous career-best ODI score of 56; he eventually fell on 83, stumped trying to use his feet against Rashid as the asking rate climbed. As assured an innings it was, it wasn’t quite enough for Ireland as they eventually fell 16 runs short.
After the match, captain Balbirnie said:
“We need to be more consistent – we had a lot of starts there, including myself. Their player kicked on and scored a hundred and played really well. That was really the difference between the two sides.”
“But some of our guys are still finding their feet at international cricket and can take a lot of positives. To score 270 on the wicket was good – but in the end it wasn’t enough to win the game today.”
“We pretty much knew what we were up against today with Afghanistan, and on a wicket that began to turn. I thought we played them pretty well today, they’re skillful bowlers, but we are just as skillful with the bat. We’ve just got to work as hard as we can off the pitch, and go again.”
“We’ll probably have a day off tomorrow with the second and third games being so close together. We need to rest, but we also need to keep our skills up – and we’ll aim to collect 10 or 20 points over the next two games.”
MATCH SUMMARY
Afghanistan Men v Ireland Men, 1st ODI, Abu Dhabi, 21 January 2021
Afghanistan 287-9 (50 overs; R Gurbaz 127, R Khan 55*; A McBrine 5-29)
Ireland 271-9 (50 overs; L Tucker 83; Naveen-ul-Haq 3-68)
Afghanistan won by 16 runs
The Viper
T20I Debutant
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2018
- Runs
- 6,865
Gurbaz century stars on Afghanistan debut in Super League win over Ireland
An outstanding maiden ODI century on debut from Rahmanullah Gurbaz led Afghanistan to victory over Ireland in the first of their three-match series in Abu Dhabi.
The opener hit 127 off as many deliveries as Afghanistan returned to the international stage for the first time since March 2020 to get their ICC Cricket World Cup Super League campaign off to a victorious start.
Career-best ODI performances of 5/29 with the ball for Andy McBrine and 83 with the bat Lorcan Tucker helped push Ireland close, but they weren’t enough to overcome a classy Afghanistan side.
Gurbaz and opening partner Javed Ahmadi built the foundations of Afghanistan’s innings with an opening stand of 120 before Irish spinner Andy McBrine took Ahmadi’s wicket on 38.
McBrine skittled his way through the Afghanistan top and middle-order, dismissing batters Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib each for single figures to push the Afghans from 120-0 to 161-5 in the space of 10 overs.
Gurbaz continued to be a sticking point for the Irish and a single off Kevin O’Brien’s bowling in the 35th over brought up his maiden century.
The 19-year-old added two more sixes to the seven he smashed to reach his century before he was caught at deep square-leg Gareth Delany’s bowling, leaving Afghanistan 198/6. Gurbaz’s nine sixes set broke the record for the most sixes hit by a man on ODI debut.
Following the fall of Azmatullah Omarzai’s wicket to Simi Singh, Najib Zadran and Rashid Khan pushed the run rate on, with Khan bringing up his half-century off just 27 deliveries before getting out on 55 to guide Afghanistan to 287/9 at the end of his innings.
Afghanistan kept a grip over Ireland’s run chase throughout. Right-arm quick Naveen-ul-Haq took two important early wickets, first trapping O’Brien lbw for one before deceiving Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie with a slower ball for 15.
Paul Stirling and Harry Tector built a 50-run partnership for the third wicket before both fell in quick succession, as Tector spooned a return catch to Gulbadin off another slower ball before Nabi pinned Stirling in front for 39.
Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker combined to put on 86 for the fifth wicket to help rebuild a stuttering innings before the former eventually fell lbw to Mujeeb Ur Rahman for 39.
Tucker kicked on to bring up a second career ODI half-century and raced past his previous career-best ODI score of 56; he eventually fell on 83, stumped trying to use his feet against Rashid as the asking rate climbed. As assured an innings it was, it wasn’t quite enough for Ireland as they eventually fell 16 runs short.
The second ODI will be played at the same venue on 24 January.
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1982643
An outstanding maiden ODI century on debut from Rahmanullah Gurbaz led Afghanistan to victory over Ireland in the first of their three-match series in Abu Dhabi.
The opener hit 127 off as many deliveries as Afghanistan returned to the international stage for the first time since March 2020 to get their ICC Cricket World Cup Super League campaign off to a victorious start.
Career-best ODI performances of 5/29 with the ball for Andy McBrine and 83 with the bat Lorcan Tucker helped push Ireland close, but they weren’t enough to overcome a classy Afghanistan side.
Gurbaz and opening partner Javed Ahmadi built the foundations of Afghanistan’s innings with an opening stand of 120 before Irish spinner Andy McBrine took Ahmadi’s wicket on 38.
McBrine skittled his way through the Afghanistan top and middle-order, dismissing batters Rahmat Shah, Asghar Afghan, Mohammad Nabi and Gulbadin Naib each for single figures to push the Afghans from 120-0 to 161-5 in the space of 10 overs.
Gurbaz continued to be a sticking point for the Irish and a single off Kevin O’Brien’s bowling in the 35th over brought up his maiden century.
The 19-year-old added two more sixes to the seven he smashed to reach his century before he was caught at deep square-leg Gareth Delany’s bowling, leaving Afghanistan 198/6. Gurbaz’s nine sixes set broke the record for the most sixes hit by a man on ODI debut.
Following the fall of Azmatullah Omarzai’s wicket to Simi Singh, Najib Zadran and Rashid Khan pushed the run rate on, with Khan bringing up his half-century off just 27 deliveries before getting out on 55 to guide Afghanistan to 287/9 at the end of his innings.
Afghanistan kept a grip over Ireland’s run chase throughout. Right-arm quick Naveen-ul-Haq took two important early wickets, first trapping O’Brien lbw for one before deceiving Ireland skipper Andrew Balbirnie with a slower ball for 15.
Paul Stirling and Harry Tector built a 50-run partnership for the third wicket before both fell in quick succession, as Tector spooned a return catch to Gulbadin off another slower ball before Nabi pinned Stirling in front for 39.
Curtis Campher and Lorcan Tucker combined to put on 86 for the fifth wicket to help rebuild a stuttering innings before the former eventually fell lbw to Mujeeb Ur Rahman for 39.
Tucker kicked on to bring up a second career ODI half-century and raced past his previous career-best ODI score of 56; he eventually fell on 83, stumped trying to use his feet against Rashid as the asking rate climbed. As assured an innings it was, it wasn’t quite enough for Ireland as they eventually fell 16 runs short.
The second ODI will be played at the same venue on 24 January.
https://www.icc-cricket.com/news/1982643
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2015
- Runs
- 15,745
Two wins in two for Afghanistan in the Cricket World Cup Super League as they take an unassailable 2-0 ODI series lead over Ireland.
IRE 259/9 (50)
AFG 260/3 (45.2)
Afghanistan won by 7 wkts
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Rahmat Shah
IRE 259/9 (50)
AFG 260/3 (45.2)
Afghanistan won by 7 wkts
PLAYER OF THE MATCH
Rahmat Shah
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2015
- Runs
- 15,745
ABU DHABI – Paul Stirling hit an excellent hundred to push Ireland past 250 in the second ODI against Afghanistan, but an unbeaten ton from Rahmat Shah saw the hosts to a series-sealing victory.
Having fallen just 16 runs short of victory in the opening game of the series, it was another case of nearly but not quite for Ireland at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Having won the toss and elected to bat, captain Andrew Balbirnie saw his side get off to a tricky start, with his the second of two wickets to fall to Mujeeb Ur Rahman inside the first four overs.
From 20-2, Stirling set about repairing the damage, constructing a succession of valuable middle-order stands. Harry Tector made his second start of the series, taking the team score beyond three figures before chipping Naveen-ul-Haq to midwicket, while Curtis Campher contributed another invaluable hand, notching 47 in quick time as part of a century stand.
From 208-3 in the 41st over, with Stirling well past his century, Ireland would have been hoping for a strong finish. But Afghanistan bounced back, taking 6-51 from that point onwards. Naveen claimed three of those, striking with the last two balls of his spell after Stirling had picked out the man in the ring on 128.
That brought to an end a truly special knock, with the opener racing along at close to a run a ball. He plundered 12 fours and four sixes, each four more than his teammates could muster combined, and, in the course of his innings, overtook William Porterfield as Ireland’s leading international run-scorer. With the hundred his 11th in ODIs, he equalled Porterfield for the most tons by an Irishman in the format.
Yesterday, Stirling had been one of the many to pay tribute to Irish cricketing legend Roy Torrens after his passing. “Irish cricket to the very core but an even better man,” Stirling had written, and he signalled to the sky after removing his helmet to celebrate three figures.
The reply started strongly for Afghanistan, with opening pair Javed Ahmadi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz moved swiftly to within one blow of a half-century partnership. But in the eighth over, hope sprung anew as Barry McCarthy removed the former lbw, getting the ball to jag back in from outside off-stump. Then Rahmanullah, fresh off a century on debut in the first ODI and having raced to 31, was dismissed by a full ball from Campher, missing a flick and remaining out despite a review.
It was at this point that Rahmat and Hashmatullah Shahidi combined to put on the game’s defining stand. Runs flowed freely at first, and at the halfway stage the hosts were well over halfway to their target. However, Gareth Delany, Craig Young and Andy McBrine then combined to peg Afghanistan back, and the next eight overs passed by without a boundary. The rate required neared a run a ball.
It was then that the tempo shifted. Rahmat began to use his feet to attack the spinners, striking a four and a six in successive overs, and Shahidi soon got in on the act, striking two consecutive Young short balls for four, and the rate started decreasing again.
By the time Simi Singh broke through, deceiving Shahidi in the flight and enticing him to hole out to long-off, Ireland’s chances were slim. Singh’s next over went for just one run, but Asghar Afghan soon made up for any sluggishness, striking McCarthy for six, six and four to bring his side to within one run of Ireland’s total, and victory was achieved soon after.
The two sides will return on Tuesday to battle it out for the final points towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.
After the match, captain Balbirnie said:
“At the halfway stage we were in the game, but would have liked a few more having batted so well – particularly Paul again playing so beautifully to set us up. We probably lost a bit of momentum there at the back end. With 260 we felt in the game, but we didn’t have enough on a pitch that played a bit slower and deader as the day went on.”
“We definitely expected the pitch to turn a bit more in the second innings, but it probably didn’t turn as much as we would have liked.”
“I still think we can do better with the bat – apart from Paul and Curtis, there weren’t a lot of positives to take. We played well the other day getting 270, and we set ourselves up to mount a good total here today, but we weren’t able to do that, and against this Afghan side that has a lot of power we were up against it.”
“Paul seems to have a fantastic tour every time we go away – he was very close to the late Roy Torrens who we unfortunately lost yesterday, and you could see that that innings today was for him.”
“There are definitely players ready to go in the wings, and that’s the beauty of this squad that there are a number of players knocking on the door. We picked the guys for these two games that we thought could win some games, and they have been trying – particularly the bowlers who have been battling hard on a wicket not conducive to our style of bowling. The lads are hard on themselves, they’ll be really disappointed with the last two games, but as a squad we’ve got to be ready to rebound and ready to go – we’ve only a day between games, and we’ve got to pick ourselves up and get some points towards this World Cup Super League.”
MATCH SUMMARY
Afghanistan Men v Ireland Men, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi, 24 January 2021
Ireland 259-9 (50 overs; P Stirling 128, C Campher 47; Naveen-ul-Haq 4-42)
Afghanistan 260-3 (45.2 overs; R Shah 103, H Shahidi 82; C Campher 1-28, S Singh 1-44)
Afghanistan won by 7 wickets
Having fallen just 16 runs short of victory in the opening game of the series, it was another case of nearly but not quite for Ireland at the Sheikh Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi. Having won the toss and elected to bat, captain Andrew Balbirnie saw his side get off to a tricky start, with his the second of two wickets to fall to Mujeeb Ur Rahman inside the first four overs.
From 20-2, Stirling set about repairing the damage, constructing a succession of valuable middle-order stands. Harry Tector made his second start of the series, taking the team score beyond three figures before chipping Naveen-ul-Haq to midwicket, while Curtis Campher contributed another invaluable hand, notching 47 in quick time as part of a century stand.
From 208-3 in the 41st over, with Stirling well past his century, Ireland would have been hoping for a strong finish. But Afghanistan bounced back, taking 6-51 from that point onwards. Naveen claimed three of those, striking with the last two balls of his spell after Stirling had picked out the man in the ring on 128.
That brought to an end a truly special knock, with the opener racing along at close to a run a ball. He plundered 12 fours and four sixes, each four more than his teammates could muster combined, and, in the course of his innings, overtook William Porterfield as Ireland’s leading international run-scorer. With the hundred his 11th in ODIs, he equalled Porterfield for the most tons by an Irishman in the format.
Yesterday, Stirling had been one of the many to pay tribute to Irish cricketing legend Roy Torrens after his passing. “Irish cricket to the very core but an even better man,” Stirling had written, and he signalled to the sky after removing his helmet to celebrate three figures.
The reply started strongly for Afghanistan, with opening pair Javed Ahmadi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz moved swiftly to within one blow of a half-century partnership. But in the eighth over, hope sprung anew as Barry McCarthy removed the former lbw, getting the ball to jag back in from outside off-stump. Then Rahmanullah, fresh off a century on debut in the first ODI and having raced to 31, was dismissed by a full ball from Campher, missing a flick and remaining out despite a review.
It was at this point that Rahmat and Hashmatullah Shahidi combined to put on the game’s defining stand. Runs flowed freely at first, and at the halfway stage the hosts were well over halfway to their target. However, Gareth Delany, Craig Young and Andy McBrine then combined to peg Afghanistan back, and the next eight overs passed by without a boundary. The rate required neared a run a ball.
It was then that the tempo shifted. Rahmat began to use his feet to attack the spinners, striking a four and a six in successive overs, and Shahidi soon got in on the act, striking two consecutive Young short balls for four, and the rate started decreasing again.
By the time Simi Singh broke through, deceiving Shahidi in the flight and enticing him to hole out to long-off, Ireland’s chances were slim. Singh’s next over went for just one run, but Asghar Afghan soon made up for any sluggishness, striking McCarthy for six, six and four to bring his side to within one run of Ireland’s total, and victory was achieved soon after.
The two sides will return on Tuesday to battle it out for the final points towards the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup Super League.
After the match, captain Balbirnie said:
“At the halfway stage we were in the game, but would have liked a few more having batted so well – particularly Paul again playing so beautifully to set us up. We probably lost a bit of momentum there at the back end. With 260 we felt in the game, but we didn’t have enough on a pitch that played a bit slower and deader as the day went on.”
“We definitely expected the pitch to turn a bit more in the second innings, but it probably didn’t turn as much as we would have liked.”
“I still think we can do better with the bat – apart from Paul and Curtis, there weren’t a lot of positives to take. We played well the other day getting 270, and we set ourselves up to mount a good total here today, but we weren’t able to do that, and against this Afghan side that has a lot of power we were up against it.”
“Paul seems to have a fantastic tour every time we go away – he was very close to the late Roy Torrens who we unfortunately lost yesterday, and you could see that that innings today was for him.”
“There are definitely players ready to go in the wings, and that’s the beauty of this squad that there are a number of players knocking on the door. We picked the guys for these two games that we thought could win some games, and they have been trying – particularly the bowlers who have been battling hard on a wicket not conducive to our style of bowling. The lads are hard on themselves, they’ll be really disappointed with the last two games, but as a squad we’ve got to be ready to rebound and ready to go – we’ve only a day between games, and we’ve got to pick ourselves up and get some points towards this World Cup Super League.”
MATCH SUMMARY
Afghanistan Men v Ireland Men, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi, 24 January 2021
Ireland 259-9 (50 overs; P Stirling 128, C Campher 47; Naveen-ul-Haq 4-42)
Afghanistan 260-3 (45.2 overs; R Shah 103, H Shahidi 82; C Campher 1-28, S Singh 1-44)
Afghanistan won by 7 wickets
AamchiMumbaikar
ODI Debutant
- Joined
- Dec 21, 2010
- Runs
- 8,716
Barring home advantage, Afg has become a solid team. It will challenge any team ranked above 6.
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2015
- Runs
- 15,745
ABU DHABI – A sublime all-round performance from Rashid Khan trumped a second consecutive Paul Stirling hundred as Afghanistan sealed a 3-0 series win over Ireland in Abu Dhabi.
Ireland took wickets at regular intervals after Andrew Balbirnie won the toss and opted to field first - and were it not for Rashid Khan’s second late-innings intervention with the bat this series, they would have been chasing a much more manageable total.
Craig Young set the tone for Ireland and despite Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Javed Ahmadi coming out all guns blazing, Young took three new ball wickets, accounting for both openers and Rahmat Shah – Afghanistan’s centurion in the second ODI of the series.
After Andy McBrine picked up a fourth Afghanistan wicket – that of Hashmatullah Shahidi – with the score on 66, Afghanistan skipper Asghar Afghan underwent a rebuilding job for his team. Afghan’s 41 was well supported by his experienced middle-order partner Mohammad Nabi, who between them and Gulbadin Naib, got Afghanistan up to 162-5.
The excellent Simi Singh, who finished with figures of 3-37, then struck to remove Afghan shortly before Harry Tector claimed his maiden international wicket as Najibullah Zadrarn looked to reverse sweep, but could only glove one to a grateful Stirling at slip.
With their opponents 163-7, Ireland were in the driving seat before Rashid rallied alongside Gulbadin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to take Afghanistan to a final score of 266-9. Against a bowling attack as strong as Afghanistan’s, chasing anything in excess of 250 was always going to be a tough ask.
Stirling picked up where he left off in the second ODI, taking the attack to Afghanistan as his partners, at times, struggled for similar fluency at the crease. Like Ireland did in the first innings, Afghanistan were able to pick up regular wickets with none of the Irish batsmen – Stirling aside – passing 25.
But with Stirling at the crease, the chase was very much on. Finding the boundary with impressive regularity, the highlight of Stirling’s knock was arguably a pair of sixes struck within three balls of each other off the off-spin of Mohammad Nabi. Such was Stirling’s dominance, he reached his half-century with his team’s total on just 58.
Unflustered by wickets falling at the other end and with ample support via cameos from Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker, Stirling reached his 12th ODI century – an Ireland record and his fourth in six ODIs. His tally of 12 ODI hundreds drew him level with ODI behemoths Marcus Trescothick, Babar Azam, Faf du Plessis and Rahul Dravid.
When he eventually fell for 118 with the score 187-5, Ireland were still in the game. But unfortunately for Ireland, Tucker fell soon after, succumbing to a Rashid googly while Mark Adair was run out an over later, sucking out the momentum gathered by the Ireland batsmen earlier in the innings. McBrine and Singh batted valiantly for the eighth wicket but the asking rate climbed out of their control with Afghanistan eventually sealing victory by 36 runs as Rashid finished with figures of 4-29 to cap off a world class all-round display.
After the match, captain Andrew Balbirnie said:
“Paul has played superbly in the last couple of games - you run out of words to describe how he's playing, but no one could really back him up and get that big score with him that could potentially won us a game the other day or today. He's played brilliantly and we've just got to be there to support him.”
“Today we just needed someone to stick with him and get a 50 or 60, but it didn't happen and hasn't happened this week - we probably haven't been up to our usual standards. There's a few guys who will go away to Bangladesh with the Wolves shortly, which is a great opportunity - and for the guys at home we have a lot to work on because there's a lot of cricket coming up and we've got to be better than what we've shown in the last few games.”
After the match, Player of the Series Paul Stirling said:
“There were big points up for this series, but we didn't come up where we wanted to be. We felt in good positions today to take advantage of, but we couldn't quite do it.”
Ireland took wickets at regular intervals after Andrew Balbirnie won the toss and opted to field first - and were it not for Rashid Khan’s second late-innings intervention with the bat this series, they would have been chasing a much more manageable total.
Craig Young set the tone for Ireland and despite Afghanistan openers Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Javed Ahmadi coming out all guns blazing, Young took three new ball wickets, accounting for both openers and Rahmat Shah – Afghanistan’s centurion in the second ODI of the series.
After Andy McBrine picked up a fourth Afghanistan wicket – that of Hashmatullah Shahidi – with the score on 66, Afghanistan skipper Asghar Afghan underwent a rebuilding job for his team. Afghan’s 41 was well supported by his experienced middle-order partner Mohammad Nabi, who between them and Gulbadin Naib, got Afghanistan up to 162-5.
The excellent Simi Singh, who finished with figures of 3-37, then struck to remove Afghan shortly before Harry Tector claimed his maiden international wicket as Najibullah Zadrarn looked to reverse sweep, but could only glove one to a grateful Stirling at slip.
With their opponents 163-7, Ireland were in the driving seat before Rashid rallied alongside Gulbadin and Mujeeb Ur Rahman to take Afghanistan to a final score of 266-9. Against a bowling attack as strong as Afghanistan’s, chasing anything in excess of 250 was always going to be a tough ask.
Stirling picked up where he left off in the second ODI, taking the attack to Afghanistan as his partners, at times, struggled for similar fluency at the crease. Like Ireland did in the first innings, Afghanistan were able to pick up regular wickets with none of the Irish batsmen – Stirling aside – passing 25.
But with Stirling at the crease, the chase was very much on. Finding the boundary with impressive regularity, the highlight of Stirling’s knock was arguably a pair of sixes struck within three balls of each other off the off-spin of Mohammad Nabi. Such was Stirling’s dominance, he reached his half-century with his team’s total on just 58.
Unflustered by wickets falling at the other end and with ample support via cameos from Harry Tector and Lorcan Tucker, Stirling reached his 12th ODI century – an Ireland record and his fourth in six ODIs. His tally of 12 ODI hundreds drew him level with ODI behemoths Marcus Trescothick, Babar Azam, Faf du Plessis and Rahul Dravid.
When he eventually fell for 118 with the score 187-5, Ireland were still in the game. But unfortunately for Ireland, Tucker fell soon after, succumbing to a Rashid googly while Mark Adair was run out an over later, sucking out the momentum gathered by the Ireland batsmen earlier in the innings. McBrine and Singh batted valiantly for the eighth wicket but the asking rate climbed out of their control with Afghanistan eventually sealing victory by 36 runs as Rashid finished with figures of 4-29 to cap off a world class all-round display.
After the match, captain Andrew Balbirnie said:
“Paul has played superbly in the last couple of games - you run out of words to describe how he's playing, but no one could really back him up and get that big score with him that could potentially won us a game the other day or today. He's played brilliantly and we've just got to be there to support him.”
“Today we just needed someone to stick with him and get a 50 or 60, but it didn't happen and hasn't happened this week - we probably haven't been up to our usual standards. There's a few guys who will go away to Bangladesh with the Wolves shortly, which is a great opportunity - and for the guys at home we have a lot to work on because there's a lot of cricket coming up and we've got to be better than what we've shown in the last few games.”
After the match, Player of the Series Paul Stirling said:
“There were big points up for this series, but we didn't come up where we wanted to be. We felt in good positions today to take advantage of, but we couldn't quite do it.”
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Afghanistan should play more Tests to improve further, says captain Asghar Afghan
Afghanistan had an outing to remember in Abu Dhabi as it defeated Zimbabwe by six wickets on Sunday to draw the two-match Test series 1-1.
After an embarrassing defeat in the first Test, the Afghans fought hard to script a turnaround. While Rashid Khan picked up 11 wickets and created a record for bowling the most number of overs in Tests - 99.2, Hashmatullah Shahidi, earlier, became the first Afghan cricketer to scored a double century.
Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan told Sportstar that featuring in more Tests will help the team fare well in the longer format.
How challenging was it to turn the tables on Zimbabwe in the second Test?
Of course, it is hard to make a strong comeback after that kind of a defeat.
But we had a plan to work on our batting. We held a two-day scenario match followed by practice sessions.
In the second match, we strived to play our natural and positive cricket and held our strokes. We focused on our strengths and punished the bad deliveries.
What, according to you, was the turning point in the second Test?
I think when Rashid broke the 180-odd partnership taking (Donald) Tiripano's wicket. It brought us back in the game.
Afghanistan has had issues with batting. But this time, with Shahidi scoring a double ton, the side was in the driver's seat. Your thoughts...
We have had issues as all the Tests we played were solitary Test series. I am sure that if we play more of the two-match or three-match Test series, we will improve further. In cricket, you always learn more when you play more.
Coming to Hashmat, he has always been a calm and composed player, who can stay at the crease. He takes his time, and once he gets going, he can score a lot of runs.
What was the reason behind Rashid bowling so many overs?
Although Rashid was injured and not 100 per cent fit due to his finger injury, he still wanted to participate in the Test. He has always given his best for the team.
When I asked him during the match if he was fine with bowling more overs, he immediately agreed and said it is an important match for us and we should win it.
Due to the pandemic, Afghanistan did not play any international cricket for most part of 2020, but a few players like Rashid Khan featured in franchise leagues like the IPL. Did that help you to stay focused and ready for international assignments?
Of course, the leagues had good effects on our players. The leagues kept them in touch with cricket. So yeah, credit goes to these leagues as well as they helped keep the love of cricket alive during the pandemic.
With the T20 World Cup lined up later this year, how much of an impact will the upcoming T20I series have in the lead-up to the ICC event?
The T20I series comes at a good time for us as we prepare for the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup. It will give us a good idea.
We have good experience already in the T20 format but the more we play, the better we adapt ourselves.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...ague-series-icc-world-cup/article34071436.ece
Afghanistan had an outing to remember in Abu Dhabi as it defeated Zimbabwe by six wickets on Sunday to draw the two-match Test series 1-1.
After an embarrassing defeat in the first Test, the Afghans fought hard to script a turnaround. While Rashid Khan picked up 11 wickets and created a record for bowling the most number of overs in Tests - 99.2, Hashmatullah Shahidi, earlier, became the first Afghan cricketer to scored a double century.
Afghanistan captain Asghar Afghan told Sportstar that featuring in more Tests will help the team fare well in the longer format.
How challenging was it to turn the tables on Zimbabwe in the second Test?
Of course, it is hard to make a strong comeback after that kind of a defeat.
But we had a plan to work on our batting. We held a two-day scenario match followed by practice sessions.
In the second match, we strived to play our natural and positive cricket and held our strokes. We focused on our strengths and punished the bad deliveries.
What, according to you, was the turning point in the second Test?
I think when Rashid broke the 180-odd partnership taking (Donald) Tiripano's wicket. It brought us back in the game.
Afghanistan has had issues with batting. But this time, with Shahidi scoring a double ton, the side was in the driver's seat. Your thoughts...
We have had issues as all the Tests we played were solitary Test series. I am sure that if we play more of the two-match or three-match Test series, we will improve further. In cricket, you always learn more when you play more.
Coming to Hashmat, he has always been a calm and composed player, who can stay at the crease. He takes his time, and once he gets going, he can score a lot of runs.
What was the reason behind Rashid bowling so many overs?
Although Rashid was injured and not 100 per cent fit due to his finger injury, he still wanted to participate in the Test. He has always given his best for the team.
When I asked him during the match if he was fine with bowling more overs, he immediately agreed and said it is an important match for us and we should win it.
Due to the pandemic, Afghanistan did not play any international cricket for most part of 2020, but a few players like Rashid Khan featured in franchise leagues like the IPL. Did that help you to stay focused and ready for international assignments?
Of course, the leagues had good effects on our players. The leagues kept them in touch with cricket. So yeah, credit goes to these leagues as well as they helped keep the love of cricket alive during the pandemic.
With the T20 World Cup lined up later this year, how much of an impact will the upcoming T20I series have in the lead-up to the ICC event?
The T20I series comes at a good time for us as we prepare for the Asia Cup and T20 World Cup. It will give us a good idea.
We have good experience already in the T20 format but the more we play, the better we adapt ourselves.
https://sportstar.thehindu.com/cric...ague-series-icc-world-cup/article34071436.ece
Artaxerxes
Tape Ball Captain
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When Pakistan selects youngsters for the national team everyone starts complaining the youngster should not be thrown at the deep end and should play a few seasons in domestic cricket.How do Afghans manage to bring in 14 and 16 year olds who become international level players in a short time?
Men's Vodafone Test v Afghanistan
November 27 – December 1: Blundstone Arena
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO "We are also incredibly excited to welcome Afghanistan to our shores for a historic first Test match against Australia. The story of the Afghanistan cricket team is one of the most uplifting in international sport, and their record of three wins from their first six Tests prove they truly belong at this level"
November 27 – December 1: Blundstone Arena
Nick Hockley, Cricket Australia’s Interim CEO "We are also incredibly excited to welcome Afghanistan to our shores for a historic first Test match against Australia. The story of the Afghanistan cricket team is one of the most uplifting in international sport, and their record of three wins from their first six Tests prove they truly belong at this level"
RedwoodOriginal
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Good for Afghanistan. Regardless of how badly they lose the match will be an important learning experience for all their players.
Last Monetarist
T20I Debutant
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Just hope the weather in Tasmania doesn't spoil the occasion too much.
mastimasti
Tape Ball Captain
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That first post has aged badly. Afghanistan are no better now than they were in 2021 lol
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The Afghanistan Cricket Board members on 31st May 2021 approved the proposition to go ahead with split-captaincy for the national men’s team, removing Asghar Afghan as the team’s captain.
As per the board members’ unanimous decision, left-handed batter Hashmatullah Shahidi is set to lead the team in the One Day Internationals and Tests, with Rahmat Shah being appointed his deputy in both formats. Further, the vice-captaincy in the T20Is has been handed to all-rounder Rashid Khan, while the decision regarding the captain of the shortest format is yet to be made.
Afghan’s removal as the national team’s captain comes after the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s investigation committee’s report concluded that some of his decision led to the team’s loss against Zimbabwe earlier this year in the UAE.
“The decision to remove Asghar Afghan from captaincy was taken based on an investigation conducted by ACB’s Investigative committee which concluded that some of Afghan’s decisions as the captain of the team resulted in Afghanistan’s loss to Zimbabwe in the first Test of the series between both sides in Abu Dhabi in March,” ACB said in a release.
Zimbabwe went on to win the game by 10 wickets inside two days to hand Afghanistan an embarrassing defeat. However, the latter came back strongly in the second Test to level the series 1-1.
As per the board members’ unanimous decision, left-handed batter Hashmatullah Shahidi is set to lead the team in the One Day Internationals and Tests, with Rahmat Shah being appointed his deputy in both formats. Further, the vice-captaincy in the T20Is has been handed to all-rounder Rashid Khan, while the decision regarding the captain of the shortest format is yet to be made.
Afghan’s removal as the national team’s captain comes after the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s investigation committee’s report concluded that some of his decision led to the team’s loss against Zimbabwe earlier this year in the UAE.
“The decision to remove Asghar Afghan from captaincy was taken based on an investigation conducted by ACB’s Investigative committee which concluded that some of Afghan’s decisions as the captain of the team resulted in Afghanistan’s loss to Zimbabwe in the first Test of the series between both sides in Abu Dhabi in March,” ACB said in a release.
Zimbabwe went on to win the game by 10 wickets inside two days to hand Afghanistan an embarrassing defeat. However, the latter came back strongly in the second Test to level the series 1-1.
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PM Imran Khan speaking during a Q&A with a delegation of Pak-Afghan Youth Forum (PAYF), which called on him at PM Office
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 40%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/e5aaxg" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>
"Frankly I haven't had time for cricket in the last few years as there have been so many other issues but what I can say is that I don't think there is any country in the history of the cricketing world, which has improved so much as Afghanistan"
"As someone who understands cricket, I can tell you that this is unheard of. Countries that have reached the status of Afghanistan in cricket have been playing cricket for 70 years. The Afghanistan cricketers have basically learnt their cricket in the refugee camps here which is in the last 40 years, so it's remarkable"
<div style="width: 100%; height: 0px; position: relative; padding-bottom: 40%;"><iframe src="https://streamable.com/e/e5aaxg" frameborder="0" width="100%" height="100%" allowfullscreen style="width: 100%; height: 100%; position: absolute;"></iframe></div>
"Frankly I haven't had time for cricket in the last few years as there have been so many other issues but what I can say is that I don't think there is any country in the history of the cricketing world, which has improved so much as Afghanistan"
"As someone who understands cricket, I can tell you that this is unheard of. Countries that have reached the status of Afghanistan in cricket have been playing cricket for 70 years. The Afghanistan cricketers have basically learnt their cricket in the refugee camps here which is in the last 40 years, so it's remarkable"
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KARACHI: Chief selector of Afghanistan cricket, Asadullah Khan has resigned from his position alleging interference from non-cricketers in the board.
Afghanistan is set to play Pakistan in their first-ever bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka next month and Khan said the 17-member squad for the tournament was announced without his approval.
According to reports, Khan's resignation has been accepted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had recently announced that Hashmatullah Shahidi would lead the national team against Pakistan with five uncapped players in the squad: Sediqullah Atal, Shahidullah Kamal, Abdul Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Noor Ahmad.
Khan, a former domestic cricketer, coach and analyst, said in his resignation that he had been kept in the dark about the squad announced for the series against Pakistan.
He has also cited "too much interruption" and interference from "non-cricketers" in the board, who have "no knowledge about the players and selection" as the main reasons for his decision to step down.
Reports said Khan had also complained to the ACB that he was not given the people he wanted to work with as selectors since his appointment in March this year.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-steps-down/articleshow/84944610.cms?from=mdr
Afghanistan is set to play Pakistan in their first-ever bilateral ODI series in Sri Lanka next month and Khan said the 17-member squad for the tournament was announced without his approval.
According to reports, Khan's resignation has been accepted by the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had recently announced that Hashmatullah Shahidi would lead the national team against Pakistan with five uncapped players in the squad: Sediqullah Atal, Shahidullah Kamal, Abdul Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi and Noor Ahmad.
Khan, a former domestic cricketer, coach and analyst, said in his resignation that he had been kept in the dark about the squad announced for the series against Pakistan.
He has also cited "too much interruption" and interference from "non-cricketers" in the board, who have "no knowledge about the players and selection" as the main reasons for his decision to step down.
Reports said Khan had also complained to the ACB that he was not given the people he wanted to work with as selectors since his appointment in March this year.
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com...-steps-down/articleshow/84944610.cms?from=mdr
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shaun Tait has been appointed as <a href="https://twitter.com/ACBofficials?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ACBofficials</a> national team’s bowling coach 
<a href="https://t.co/t6jN63lsZR">pic.twitter.com/t6jN63lsZR</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1424711736867926019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<a href="https://t.co/t6jN63lsZR">pic.twitter.com/t6jN63lsZR</a></p>— ICC (@ICC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ICC/status/1424711736867926019?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 9, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Major
Test Star
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- 36,154
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- 7
I hope shaun tait would actually be going to afghanistan and not be a situation where he comes to uae and the afghani players have to go to uae.
Lets see how this works. Coaches that start working in the subcontinent they end up having a coaching career amongest the subcontinent teams.
Lets see how this works. Coaches that start working in the subcontinent they end up having a coaching career amongest the subcontinent teams.
hoshiarpurexpress
First Class Captain
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- 6,161
Former Australia pacer Shaun Tait appointed Afghanistan bowling coach
It will be the first time that Tait will be in a coaching position in international cricket. Tait represented Australia in all three formats of the game from 2004 to 2016.
Former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait was on Monday appointed the bowling coach of Afghanistan with immediate effect.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) made the announcement ahead of the ODI series against Pakistan in Hambantota, Sri Lanka next month.
It will be the first time that Tait will be in a coaching position in international cricket. Tait represented Australia in all three formats of the game from 2004 to 2016.
Nicknamed "The Wild Thing", Tait was considered to be one of the fastest bowlers in the world. He bowled the second-fastest delivery in ODIs at a speed of 161.1 kph against England in 2010.
The right-arm pacer has scalped five, 62, and 28 wickets in three Tests, 35 ODIs, and 21 T20Is respectively. He played an important role in Australia winning the 2007 Cricket World Cup, taking 23 wickets in 11 games.
After retiring from international cricket in 2017 due to a chronic elbow injury, the 38-year-old ventured into coaching.
Tait is a level-two certified coach from Cricket Australia and has worked as a bowling coach for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL). He also serves as a bowling coach for the Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and is a member of the coaching set-up for Durham in this year's Royal London One-Day Cup.
Tait's appointment comes ahead of Afghanistan playing three ODI against Pakistan in Hambantota, Sri Lanka next month as a part of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League.
Afghanistan will feature in the men's ICC T20 World Cup in October-November this year. They have been put in Group 2 alongside India, Pakistan, New Zealand and two teams from the qualifying tournament. It is followed by a one-off Test against Australia in Hobart in November.
https://www.indiatvnews.com/sports/...it-appointed-afghanistan-bowling-coach-725521
It will be the first time that Tait will be in a coaching position in international cricket. Tait represented Australia in all three formats of the game from 2004 to 2016.
Former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait was on Monday appointed the bowling coach of Afghanistan with immediate effect.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) made the announcement ahead of the ODI series against Pakistan in Hambantota, Sri Lanka next month.
It will be the first time that Tait will be in a coaching position in international cricket. Tait represented Australia in all three formats of the game from 2004 to 2016.
Nicknamed "The Wild Thing", Tait was considered to be one of the fastest bowlers in the world. He bowled the second-fastest delivery in ODIs at a speed of 161.1 kph against England in 2010.
The right-arm pacer has scalped five, 62, and 28 wickets in three Tests, 35 ODIs, and 21 T20Is respectively. He played an important role in Australia winning the 2007 Cricket World Cup, taking 23 wickets in 11 games.
After retiring from international cricket in 2017 due to a chronic elbow injury, the 38-year-old ventured into coaching.
Tait is a level-two certified coach from Cricket Australia and has worked as a bowling coach for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL). He also serves as a bowling coach for the Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and is a member of the coaching set-up for Durham in this year's Royal London One-Day Cup.
Tait's appointment comes ahead of Afghanistan playing three ODI against Pakistan in Hambantota, Sri Lanka next month as a part of the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup Super League.
Afghanistan will feature in the men's ICC T20 World Cup in October-November this year. They have been put in Group 2 alongside India, Pakistan, New Zealand and two teams from the qualifying tournament. It is followed by a one-off Test against Australia in Hobart in November.
https://www.indiatvnews.com/sports/...it-appointed-afghanistan-bowling-coach-725521
hoshiarpurexpress
First Class Captain
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Damn.. The Wild thing as a coach for the Wildly talented Afghans.. Hopefully he can unearth some raw pace bowlers.
"Tait is a level-two certified coach from Cricket Australia and has worked as a bowling coach for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL). He also serves as a bowling coach for the Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and is a member of the coaching set-up for Durham in this year's Royal London One-Day Cup."
Interested to note that even Afghanistan appoints coaches with qualifications and experience.
"Tait is a level-two certified coach from Cricket Australia and has worked as a bowling coach for Melbourne Renegades in the Big Bash League (BBL). He also serves as a bowling coach for the Bangla Tigers in the Abu Dhabi T10 League and is a member of the coaching set-up for Durham in this year's Royal London One-Day Cup."
Interested to note that even Afghanistan appoints coaches with qualifications and experience.
Last Monetarist
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Media reports are quoting the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), Dr. Hamid Shinwari, that the ACB is likely to appoint a new batting coach from Sri Lanka for their forthcoming series against Pakistan. According to reports Hashan Tillakaratne was /is likely to be their first choice.
Tillakaratne is currently the Sri Lanka women's team coach and seems to be open to a long-term contract.
Tillakaratne is currently the Sri Lanka women's team coach and seems to be open to a long-term contract.
Runner Up
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What will be the future of Afghanistan Cricket under Taliban Regime?
Here what Taliban spokesperson said
https://www.urdunews.com/node/591266
Here what Taliban spokesperson said
https://www.urdunews.com/node/591266
Varun
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The Taliban don't seem anti-sport.
Not sure if they will continue to extract favours from the BCCI though, or whether the BCCI will even tolerate them.
Not sure if they will continue to extract favours from the BCCI though, or whether the BCCI will even tolerate them.
I can't imagine Australia playing vs a team representing a country led by the Taliban. Not sure about England and NZ either.
Mobashir
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Strange that these countries never think about these things when playing against Israel or US and also other countries.
I was waiting for the "yeah but what about these other guys" argument.
All countries have moral blind spots, reprehensible behaviour etc. I completely agree.
But if you want to equate two (completely imperfect) democracies with a govt that is currently taking over Afghanistan then ok, great point. Doesn't change the fact the Aus govt is not likely to draw the same equation.
Mobashir
ODI Debutant
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That will not make it right.
Being a democracy doesn't allow you to massacre people around the world, make wars and just say sorry after, destroy countries or occupy the land of other people.
Afghanistan is playing some good cricket and hopefully for them they will be able to continue to play major trophies and some bilaterals.
Robert
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Can cricket thrive under the Taliban? Will they allow overseas tours?
Last edited:
Abdullah Rabbani
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They're interested in only one sport
Major
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Will Afghanistan Cricket under the Taliban be in jeopardy?
Taliban has forcefully taken over Afghanistan, and soon after they take over Kabul, many important institutions will go to them.
Now, under such a nature, will ACB lose its ICC membership? Or could participation of Afghanistan be deemed a problem if Taliban decides to limit sports in the country?
Taliban has forcefully taken over Afghanistan, and soon after they take over Kabul, many important institutions will go to them.
Now, under such a nature, will ACB lose its ICC membership? Or could participation of Afghanistan be deemed a problem if Taliban decides to limit sports in the country?
gazza619
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Interesting question. Perhaps any of our Afghan posters can shed light.
I would be surprised though it the cricket affairs are abolished.
I would be surprised though it the cricket affairs are abolished.
Major
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I wonder if their participation at the up coming world t20 be put in doubts.
Depends on how will ICC see the membership of Afghanistan under the Taliban govt and plus whether Taliban would allow the sport to exist.
Furthermore, with alot of Afghanis leaving the country, the talentpool also gets affected
Depends on how will ICC see the membership of Afghanistan under the Taliban govt and plus whether Taliban would allow the sport to exist.
Furthermore, with alot of Afghanis leaving the country, the talentpool also gets affected
ElRaja
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the taliban arent stupid, this isnt 25 years ago where they could get away with whatever and only fringe journos would cover what was happening. they will realise that there power is not under threat, therefore focus would be on projecting legitimacy and cricket is an easy win.
however as mentioned above its unlikely that afghan cricket will enjoy the support it has from other countries given the taliban would essentially be running the show and making money of it.
however as mentioned above its unlikely that afghan cricket will enjoy the support it has from other countries given the taliban would essentially be running the show and making money of it.
Which is a fantastic argument about nothing I said- but I can see you were itching to make it.
Back on topic- the ICC has suspended Zimbabwe in the past for govt interference & irregularities. Be interesting how the deal with a Taliban.
As I said I'd be amazed if Oz & Eng & NZ will play Afghanistan, unless the Afghan Cricket Baord asserts it's independence & rejects Taliban (unlikely, trapped between a rock & a hard place). I'd imagine the australian players association would raise objections to the Taliban treatment of women, making it difficult to get support for a tour given that association represents our women cricketers too and many male players will take a stand with them.
We'll see how it unfolds.
Rana
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The future of Afghanistan cricket under the Taliban regime
Where do they go from here? On the verge of becoming a highly competitive side with some very good match winner cricketers. Will they still get regular support by their overthrown government under the lead of the Taliban?
What will happen to players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Imran etc. If they cannot represent their country anymore due to Afghanistan not participating as a member ICC nation?
Who will the ICC deal with now that the ACB is under the Taliban?
Where do they go from here? On the verge of becoming a highly competitive side with some very good match winner cricketers. Will they still get regular support by their overthrown government under the lead of the Taliban?
What will happen to players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, Qais Imran etc. If they cannot represent their country anymore due to Afghanistan not participating as a member ICC nation?
Who will the ICC deal with now that the ACB is under the Taliban?
It will be extremely depressing if the ACB is barred from planning international cricket or if the Taliban ban international cricket all together.
Afghanistan has easily been the most exciting and entertaining associate team of the last 20 years with a whole bunch of quality players lighting up domestic tournaments and international series.
One can only hope that nothing to drastic happens to the state of Afghan cricket however I really do doubt that we are going to hear any positive news
Afghanistan has easily been the most exciting and entertaining associate team of the last 20 years with a whole bunch of quality players lighting up domestic tournaments and international series.
One can only hope that nothing to drastic happens to the state of Afghan cricket however I really do doubt that we are going to hear any positive news
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With Taliban taking over Afghanistan following the withdrawal of American troops from the country, there are speculations over whether their national cricket team will be able to take part in the international tournaments, especially the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup set to be played in October this year.
However, Afghanistan cricket team’s media manager Hikmat Hassan has assured that they will be part of the T20 World Cup with the preparations to go ahead as planned despite what’s happening in the country
“Yes, we will play in the T20 World Cup," Hassan told ANI. “The preparations are on and the available players will be back to training in Kabul in the next few days."
He also added that they are currently searching for possible venue for a tri-series involving Afghanistan, Australia and Sri Lanka. “We are looking for a venue for the tri-series involving Australia and West Indies and that will be the best preparation for the showpiece event. We are speaking to some countries like Sri Lanka and also I think Malaysia. Let’s see how that pans out," he said.
He continued, “We are already set to play Pakistan in Hambantota and that series is also on. Also, we are planning to go ahead with the domestic T20 tournament which shall boost preparations for the players ahead of the T20 World Cup."
Two of Afghanistan’s biggest stars Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi are currently in the UK where they are playing in The Hundred. Hassan said players will be given any assistance they need.
“We are always there to help our players and their families. We will do whatever is possible for them. Things are not affected much in Kabul, we are already back in the office, so there is nothing to worry about," he said.
There’s also question-mark over whether the duo will take part in the second phase of IPL set to start in mid-September. BCCI is keeping an eye on the situation but is confident that Rashid and Nabi, who represent Sunrisers Hyderabad, will be available.
https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...y-in-icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2021-4091660.html
However, Afghanistan cricket team’s media manager Hikmat Hassan has assured that they will be part of the T20 World Cup with the preparations to go ahead as planned despite what’s happening in the country
“Yes, we will play in the T20 World Cup," Hassan told ANI. “The preparations are on and the available players will be back to training in Kabul in the next few days."
He also added that they are currently searching for possible venue for a tri-series involving Afghanistan, Australia and Sri Lanka. “We are looking for a venue for the tri-series involving Australia and West Indies and that will be the best preparation for the showpiece event. We are speaking to some countries like Sri Lanka and also I think Malaysia. Let’s see how that pans out," he said.
He continued, “We are already set to play Pakistan in Hambantota and that series is also on. Also, we are planning to go ahead with the domestic T20 tournament which shall boost preparations for the players ahead of the T20 World Cup."
Two of Afghanistan’s biggest stars Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi are currently in the UK where they are playing in The Hundred. Hassan said players will be given any assistance they need.
“We are always there to help our players and their families. We will do whatever is possible for them. Things are not affected much in Kabul, we are already back in the office, so there is nothing to worry about," he said.
There’s also question-mark over whether the duo will take part in the second phase of IPL set to start in mid-September. BCCI is keeping an eye on the situation but is confident that Rashid and Nabi, who represent Sunrisers Hyderabad, will be available.
https://www.news18.com/cricketnext/...y-in-icc-mens-t20-world-cup-2021-4091660.html
sam_ahm
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I never liked Afghanistan cricket team for whatever reasons but I'll be very sad if taliban stop cricket there. I hope they keep playing and keep improving in future. Good luck Afghanistan.
Rana
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I doubt the players who are abroad will go back to train in Kabul
They most likely will claim political asylum in other countries
YousafTheBeast
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I reckon some of the Afghan players will relocate back to Pakistan with their families. IIRC, Mohammad Shehzad had a residence in Peshawar.
BunnyRabbit
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Think a few countries may boycott playing Afghanistan now. BCCI may also stop providing favors to ACB.
Difficult to see Aus, NZ, Eng and even India playing against them.
Some of their players may also look towards settling somewhere else. Could well be the end of the international careers of some of their big names.
Difficult to see Aus, NZ, Eng and even India playing against them.
Some of their players may also look towards settling somewhere else. Could well be the end of the international careers of some of their big names.
BunnyRabbit
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Rashid is already based in UAE.
Rana
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What is Taliban’s stance against India or Hindutva? Surely I can’t see cordial relations between the two nations now
If cricket is truly disrupted for Afghanistan, I suspect majority of their overseas may switch alliance to India and gain citizenship to potentially play for India in future. It would be very surprising if these high profile players return to train in Afghanistan.
SangasCoverDrive
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ICC can do something like Olympics did with Russia.
Sherlock
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What a shitshow.
Sad, and yet inevitable circumstances.
Sad, and yet inevitable circumstances.
Executioner
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Cricket needed Afghanistan - their fans and their cricketers. I obviously sympathize for tbe Afghanistan people but this could be a big loss for the entire cricket fraternity too.
Fans is something cricket lacks (atleast outside India-Pak-BD and these Afghanistan fans are extremely enthusiastic.
And who can deny their incredible strides in international cricket
Fans is something cricket lacks (atleast outside India-Pak-BD and these Afghanistan fans are extremely enthusiastic.
And who can deny their incredible strides in international cricket
Pakistani govt should offer Pakistani citizenship to Zazai, Rashid and Nabi and bring them into the pakistani squad. They are definitely better than some of the current lot in the Pakistani squad.
Rana
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No we don’t need their fans at the cricket grounds
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New Delhi, Aug 16 (PTI) Cricket will not be a casualty in the wake of drastic political change in Afghanistan, assured country''s cricket board CEO Hamid Shinwari, saying the Taliban "love" and "support" the game.
Speaking to PTI from Kabul, Shinwari also assured that the members of the national team and their families are safe as the Taliban took over the reins of the country.
Star players including Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Zadran are playing in the UK in the ''Hundred'' tournament.
"Taliban loves cricket. They have supported us since the beginning. They did not interfere in our activities," said Shinwari.
"I don''t see any interference and expect support so that our cricket can move forward. We have got an active chairman, I remain CEO until further notice," added the top Afghanistan Cricket Board official.
Cricket''s rise in the country coincided with Taliban''s rule between 1996 and 2001 with many Afghan refugees in neighbouring Pakistan picking up the sport.
"It can be said that cricket flourished during the Taliban era. It is also a fact that many of our players practised in Peshawar and they made the sport mainstream in Afghanistan.
"The good thing is that we are heading towards normalcy. The people have started working. We will resume our office from tomorrow and the national camp which was underway ahead of the Pakistan series in Sri Lanka will also resume after a two-day break with the change in regime," said Shinwari.
Talking about the players safety, he said: "Other than four or five players who are playing overseas the rest are all in Kabul. Like I said, they are safe and doing fine."
The BCCI is also keeping an eye on the developments and is hoping to see participation of Afghan players in the India Premier League.
"It is too early to comment but we are keeping a watch. For us, nothing changes and we expect Rashid and other Afghan players would be part of IPL," a BCCI source told PTI.
Afghanistan are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against Pakistan in Colombo from September 1.
Shinwari said all their scheduled bilateral series remain on track and all three IPL bound players -- Rashid, Nabi and Mujeeb -- have got NOCs from the board to take part in the cash-rich event ahead of the T20 World Cup.
"We don''t see any cricketing activity suffering with the change of regime," said Shinwari.
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who is involved with the ''Hundred'' event in the UK, said Rashid is naturally worried about the situation back home.
"We had a long chat here on the boundary talking about it and he''s worried. He can''t get his family out of Afghanistan and there''s a lot of things happening for him." Pietrsen told Sky Sports.
"For him to turn up and put on a performance like this under the pressure that he is currently under... for him to be able to forget that stuff and navigate his story and continue the momentum that he has - I think that''s probably one of the most heart-warming stories of this Hundred so far."
Asadullah Khan, who resigned as Afghanistan chief selector earlier this month, also thinks that cricket will not be a casualty under the Taliban rule.
"I personally have gone to the areas where Taliban ruled. They really liked the game. So, from that point of view it should not be an issue.
"Too much political intervention in cricket has affected the sport negatively over the past 24 months and that needs to change," Khan said referring to the frequent administrative changes in the board and leadership of the national team.
Shinwari added that he hopes major cricketing powers including BCCI play with them more often, providing a big push to their finances and over health of the game in the country.
"We want to establish regular bilateral cricket ties with all cricketing giants including BCCI which has always been there for us," he added.
https://www.outlookindia.com/newssc...me-suffering-under-their-rule-acb-ceo/2142440
Speaking to PTI from Kabul, Shinwari also assured that the members of the national team and their families are safe as the Taliban took over the reins of the country.
Star players including Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Zadran are playing in the UK in the ''Hundred'' tournament.
"Taliban loves cricket. They have supported us since the beginning. They did not interfere in our activities," said Shinwari.
"I don''t see any interference and expect support so that our cricket can move forward. We have got an active chairman, I remain CEO until further notice," added the top Afghanistan Cricket Board official.
Cricket''s rise in the country coincided with Taliban''s rule between 1996 and 2001 with many Afghan refugees in neighbouring Pakistan picking up the sport.
"It can be said that cricket flourished during the Taliban era. It is also a fact that many of our players practised in Peshawar and they made the sport mainstream in Afghanistan.
"The good thing is that we are heading towards normalcy. The people have started working. We will resume our office from tomorrow and the national camp which was underway ahead of the Pakistan series in Sri Lanka will also resume after a two-day break with the change in regime," said Shinwari.
Talking about the players safety, he said: "Other than four or five players who are playing overseas the rest are all in Kabul. Like I said, they are safe and doing fine."
The BCCI is also keeping an eye on the developments and is hoping to see participation of Afghan players in the India Premier League.
"It is too early to comment but we are keeping a watch. For us, nothing changes and we expect Rashid and other Afghan players would be part of IPL," a BCCI source told PTI.
Afghanistan are scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against Pakistan in Colombo from September 1.
Shinwari said all their scheduled bilateral series remain on track and all three IPL bound players -- Rashid, Nabi and Mujeeb -- have got NOCs from the board to take part in the cash-rich event ahead of the T20 World Cup.
"We don''t see any cricketing activity suffering with the change of regime," said Shinwari.
Former England batsman Kevin Pietersen, who is involved with the ''Hundred'' event in the UK, said Rashid is naturally worried about the situation back home.
"We had a long chat here on the boundary talking about it and he''s worried. He can''t get his family out of Afghanistan and there''s a lot of things happening for him." Pietrsen told Sky Sports.
"For him to turn up and put on a performance like this under the pressure that he is currently under... for him to be able to forget that stuff and navigate his story and continue the momentum that he has - I think that''s probably one of the most heart-warming stories of this Hundred so far."
Asadullah Khan, who resigned as Afghanistan chief selector earlier this month, also thinks that cricket will not be a casualty under the Taliban rule.
"I personally have gone to the areas where Taliban ruled. They really liked the game. So, from that point of view it should not be an issue.
"Too much political intervention in cricket has affected the sport negatively over the past 24 months and that needs to change," Khan said referring to the frequent administrative changes in the board and leadership of the national team.
Shinwari added that he hopes major cricketing powers including BCCI play with them more often, providing a big push to their finances and over health of the game in the country.
"We want to establish regular bilateral cricket ties with all cricketing giants including BCCI which has always been there for us," he added.
https://www.outlookindia.com/newssc...me-suffering-under-their-rule-acb-ceo/2142440
cricket4all
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That might be the case but more important is the domestic circuit continuing in Afghanistan for grass roots and future talent. If that does happen they would want to represent Afghanistan not India. Getting into Indian side would be hard anyway.
Major
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Would be interesting to see if there would be any kit changes.
If ICC decides to ban them, i could see alot of Afghanis trying to represent Pakistan. They have been part of clubs here
If ICC decides to ban them, i could see alot of Afghanis trying to represent Pakistan. They have been part of clubs here
Giannis
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If that happens then the ACB can operate a cricket team in exile, based in either Dubai or Islamabad and they can play their home games in the UAE. If the Taliban try to ban cricket then the domestic structure can move to Pakistan. Pakistan can develop a domestic cricket tournament for Afghan cities but it can be played in Pakistan with only Afghan players that way the game doesn't die. Afghanistan only had one or two venues so that can be substituted with any stadium in Pakistan
BunnyRabbit
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Why would Pakistan give their resources to ACB when they have been nothing but bitter and scornful towards us in the past. Plus it won't be easy to get Pakistani visa let alone shifting the whole domestic circuit in Pakistan.
Giannis
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This going to be a different ACB
they no longer have their teeth, the previous ACB was emboldened to spite Pakistan because of the support they had from India/Ghani/Saleh but they no longer have that and they won't be extra cozy with India now
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Just Cricket here - discussions on Taliban for TPS
Major
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the world is not that simple. Hosting someone elses domestic games means they should be paying money. Grounds have fees, hotels have fees. WHo are gonna fund this? WHoa are gonna pay the players??
If ACB is in exile, obiosuly the Taliban govt wont pay them any money.
You really need to think before making such posts
OmarKhan99
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I reckon your post revolves a bit too much around conjecture and hypotheticals. Like you said right at the end, we have to reserve judgements until we see how the situation unfolds in AFG.
Also, I don't think people realize how much of Afghanistan (legitimately or not) was already run/controlled by Taliban informally. I don't think cricketing logistics/affairs will undergo any drastic transformation, despite the recent topple over of Ghani and co. I'd also be surprised if Taliban drastically amend the existing laws/rules surrounding women and minorities, because judging by some of the statements they've given, they don't seem keen to go down the path (they've conceded that some of their past policies/legislations were un-Islamic).
sharmaji
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It is quite unfortunate, how things are unfolding in Afghanistan. I feel sad for the Afghan people. Cricket is the least of their worries, but it will one of the many victims of this takeover by Taliban.
Hmm, reports from the thousands of people fleeing first into Kabul for safety, now desperately trying to get out suggest other treatment of women, more in line with past practices (rape, forced marriage, severe corporal punishments/torture) is happening. Whether to believe them, or Taliban spokesmen about how reformed they are now, or neither...
My post wasn't really at all about how much the cricket situation on the ground may change- they'd be mad to cut off their one source of good PR & + lucrative income stream/ICC money. My post was about how govts & players groups of Oz, NZ, England will view the Taliban & will not be willing to be seen to do anything to support them. Which would include playing against anyone under the Taliban banner which it seems the national team would have to.
If there is a complete change of character by the Taliban, that may change matters. But if history is the guide (and the more afghan history happens, the more it stays the same) my opinion is that seems unlikely, unfortunately. But we'll see if they stick to their word & reign in some of these things as the situation settles.
I foresee people (as is the current trend) believing or disbelieving narratives based on their own viewpoint- there are almost no foreign journalists in Afghanistan. Reports will come from refugees (dismissed by some as made up to gain sympathy/asylum), NGOs (same deal, people will say their reports are based on evidence from people trying to gain sympathy/asylum) or the Taliban- disbelieved by some who say of course they will lie to try and make themselves look good, they are already up to the same old thing.
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OmarKhan99
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I am no Taliban sympathizer, but I am cognizant of the ground realities. Yes, you're right that there have been distressing images emerging from Afghanistan's capital, but there are equally (or even more) videos of people celebrating the inevitable Taliban take over. You have to realize that Taliban aren't some foreign power that are taking over (like the US+NATO were perceived), they are an indigenous movement with actual ground support. Whether we agree with it or disagree. It'd be extremely foolish of us to forcefully superimpose our values onto any other nation's, as that has always historically back fired. Meaningful change always happens from within. We'd be better off trusting the people of Afghanistan to change and set things right if Taliban seem to be taking them in the wrong direction. Forcing them or backing them against a wall by isolating/alienating them will only allow extremist elements to breed hatred of the 'other' and decent people will also be swayed towards ignorance. Have to trust the Afghan people.
Care to elaborate what you mean by the stuff underlined?
I know what you mean, but if the NATO countries are genuinely concerned with Taliban strengthening their grip on Afghanistan, then they won't go down that route. Isolating Afghanistan because of the Taliban takeover, and making it out to be a pariah/rogue state, will further bolster Taliban and only do the exact opposite of what AUS, ENG, etc. would have wanted. They can try that approach, but it just won't work (e.g. NK, Iran, etc.). It's fine to strive for a idealistic world, but you also have to make nuanced decisions based on the ground realities.
Having said that, I'm not really concerned with what ENG etc. do, it's much more pertinent to see what the neighbours do in their assistance. It's their responsibility to help Afghanistan during these times. [/QUOTE]
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STICK to CRICKET.
Nikhil_cric
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Works both ways. Islamic countries have no issues playing sports with countries like Turkey and China but dontcallow Israeli athletes etc.
I know what you mean, but if the NATO countries are genuinely concerned with Taliban strengthening their grip on Afghanistan, then they won't go down that route. Isolating Afghanistan because of the Taliban takeover, and making it out to be a pariah/rogue state, will further bolster Taliban and only do the exact opposite of what AUS, ENG, etc. would have wanted. They can try that approach, but it just won't work (e.g. NK, Iran, etc.). It's fine to strive for a idealistic world, but you also have to make nuanced decisions based on the ground realities.
Having said that, I'm not really concerned with what ENG etc. do, it's much more pertinent to see what the neighbours do in their assistance. It's their responsibility to help Afghanistan during these times. [/QUOTE][/QUOTE]
The bold parts... Whether it is the right way to influence the Taliban/Aghan or not, there is a very big risk that players associations in the countries listed will take issue with playing Afghan teams if those teams are representing the Taliban govt. They will not want to be giving financial or de facto moral support to them by playing them.
The press over here is not receiving the Taliban's new "makeover" very well, when it is arriving alongside images of women shot dead in Kabul today for not wearing a burqa. CA or the ECB/NZC could find male & female players who have an issue (they may not, but I do find it very a likely scenario), they may find the public questioning any matches & sponsors taking note.
Oz wouldn't play sport vs South Africa during apartheid- the public protests when they tried to play the Springboks rugby influenced that & it became govt policy. The sporting embargo by nations is acknowledged as playing a role in undermining apartheid (small role, but noticed). There's the prospect of something similar.
I don't know if it will play out like that- many people (myself included) LOVE the story of the Afghan cricket team and the style in which they play the game. Rashid is a popular BBL star. So maybe people will just support the players... but if the players are put in the position of having to say they represent the Taliban as the govt of Afganistan... that's going to be a very, very hard sell to CA & sponsors increasingly aware of & courting family & female involvement in the game (WBBL TV coverage being pushed etc).
Playing them in series WILL bring in money to the Taliban. Playing them in series DOES lend an air of normality & legitimacy & tacit approval that yes, we can play fun games with such govts representatives.
Whether it works politically- who knows. NK is a backwards nightmare by the dictators mad choices, sucking up & mollycoddling them got idiots like Trump nowhere. And doing anything to be seen to lend legitimacy to a regime shooting women in the street for wearing the wrong clothing is not going to fly in Oz or NZ. There's not a nuance to put on that to make it palatable for those countries- maybe for Pakistan who have to live as neighbours, but not here.
Completely agree it's up to Afghans to run their country as they wish & trust they will do their best. But it doesn't mean we need to play sports with the Taliban.
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OmarKhan99
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Are you referring to the recent picture that has been making the rounds and was actually debunked to be a picture of a protester from Syria half a decade ago? Mate, don't believe everything Fox News (they started the spread of the picture) sells.
Well, you aren't wrong, but there's more context to this. It was mainly India, Pakistan and West Indies that were adamant behind the initial International isolation of South African Cricket, considering the ridiculous laws barring non-white players entry into the team. It was again India, Pakistan and Windies that were against a readmission. While, on the other hand, you had teams like ENG, AUS organizing rebel tours throughout the 80s for very thinly-veiled money-grubbing intentions.
However, I do understand what you mean by isolation might lead the host into rethinking their options. I personally don't think that will happen though. South Africa is a particularly uncommon case where a minority ruled over the majority with impunity. There were massive calls from within the country (i.e. SA) for other countries to boycott their own cricket team and CSA. I don't think that translates to the current situation in Afghanistan.
Although, as I've said before, it really isn't my concern what CA, ECB, NZC, etc. do. I was just questioning your hypotheticals of how you think Afghanistan will change, because it seemed to follow on from a few assumptions that aren't ground realities (claims of women harassment being ubiquitous, etc. being spread by sources like news.com.au).
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The Afghanistan Cricket Board expects the incoming Taliban authorities to block plans to create a national women's team.
The International Cricket Council requires its 12 full members - of which Afghanistan is one - to have a national women's team.
Twenty five female cricketers were awarded contracts in November 2020.
"I think it will be stopped - that is my assumption," Hamid Shinwari, chief executive of the national board, said.
Speaking to the Sports Desk podcast, Shinwari said: "I really don't know what will be the position in the future.
"We have kept the salaries and they are on our payroll. If the government decides that we don't go with the national women's team, we will have to stop it."
Afghanistan have not entered a women's team to compete in any ICC regional tournament, but awarding contracts was part of a push towards developing a national side.
During their previous rule, from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban stopped girls from receiving any form of education, while women were unable to work or leave the house without being accompanied by a male relative.
They have since promised to respect the rights of women in the country "within the framework of Islamic law".
Khalida Popal, the former captain of Afghanistan women's football team, has closed down the national team's football account to prevent players from being identified.
"Women's cricket is pretty new in Afghanistan so I really don't know how much impact it will have on progress in the country," Shinwari said.
"It is up to the government to decide and as an employee, we go ahead with the rules and regulations."
Shinwari added that the board were committed to playing their limited-overs series against Pakistan in September and had received messages of support from the Taliban.
"They are there to support us whenever there is a need," Shinwari said of the incoming forces.
"For the time being all is relatively good. We are going ahead with our schedules and activities. We haven't seen any impediments so far."
BBC
The International Cricket Council requires its 12 full members - of which Afghanistan is one - to have a national women's team.
Twenty five female cricketers were awarded contracts in November 2020.
"I think it will be stopped - that is my assumption," Hamid Shinwari, chief executive of the national board, said.
Speaking to the Sports Desk podcast, Shinwari said: "I really don't know what will be the position in the future.
"We have kept the salaries and they are on our payroll. If the government decides that we don't go with the national women's team, we will have to stop it."
Afghanistan have not entered a women's team to compete in any ICC regional tournament, but awarding contracts was part of a push towards developing a national side.
During their previous rule, from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban stopped girls from receiving any form of education, while women were unable to work or leave the house without being accompanied by a male relative.
They have since promised to respect the rights of women in the country "within the framework of Islamic law".
Khalida Popal, the former captain of Afghanistan women's football team, has closed down the national team's football account to prevent players from being identified.
"Women's cricket is pretty new in Afghanistan so I really don't know how much impact it will have on progress in the country," Shinwari said.
"It is up to the government to decide and as an employee, we go ahead with the rules and regulations."
Shinwari added that the board were committed to playing their limited-overs series against Pakistan in September and had received messages of support from the Taliban.
"They are there to support us whenever there is a need," Shinwari said of the incoming forces.
"For the time being all is relatively good. We are going ahead with our schedules and activities. We haven't seen any impediments so far."
BBC
Not following the logic by where you want to exclude Australia from credit for participating in the sporting blockade of apartheid but then don't mention the WI & Sri Lanka for organising & taking part in rebel tours...
Anyway we'll see how PC the Taliban have become. Hopefully they've become nice.
OmarKhan99
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I didn't exclude Australia, I was merely providing more context. It seemed to me like you were inferring that certain things would not be morally 'palatable' for countries like Australia, England, etc. (esp with that South Africa example), but could be for other countries. I just wanted to clear that in the past, it was mainly the non-white cricketing nations that backed the boycott of South Africa until there was sufficient desegregation.
Also, my list wasn't exhaustive that I would have listed both Windies and Sri Lanka as taking part in the rebel tours. But since you've mentioned it, I'll clarify. Sri Lanka was a new/unestablished Test nation, so not really relevant to the debate. West Indies' tour was held in different circumstances and the consequences were also drastically different, but even so, they shouldn't have done it. However, that still doesn't change the fact that West Indies, alongside India and Pakistan, were the most vocal and the main opposition to the readmission of CSA.
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Giannis
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If Australia and New Zealand are not going to play Afghanistan for moralistic reasons then that's going start a whole new precedent and increasing expections for these so called champions of freedom and democracy. Will Australia/NZ continue to tour the UAE a country that also has repressive laws and funds proxy wars in multiple muslim countries as well normalizing relations with Israel? Wil Aus/NZ cut ties with Israel, an apartheid state established as a settler-colony? Will Aus/NZ stop touring India out of solidarity with the people of Kashmir who have lost 100,000+ civilians in the occupation and 10,000+ women and girls have been raped and they lost their autonomy as a state 2 years back in 2019 around the same time Hong Kong lost theres? Or Kashmir isn't as important as Hong Kong for political reasons? Also will Aus/NZ cut ties with Ethiopia, Eritrea, the Central Asian Stans and countless other authoritarian countries that are just as repressive and commit just as many crimes against women and minorities? Seems like selective outrage. Now most countries are guilty of hypocrisy but the Anglo world order claims to be champions of human rights so the world expects more from y'all.
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You could type about fifteen more walls of text about western hypocrisy, honestly.
Buuutt... we haven't cut ties with China over Hong Kong so how is not cutting ties with India over Kashmir making it less important?
We don't really have any ties with Ethiopia, Eritrea or the Stans, so hard to say about them.
Israel is recognised by the UN and many Australians disagree with Israel's policies on Palestine. I think they are discriminatory. I don't think Oz is about to boycott them in sports though. Probably hypocritical.
Followed to it's core though is that a country or person can never stand up for anything, unless they stand up for everything, lest they be a hypocrit... which is an impossible standard innit?
I've never tried to tell you the stance is perfectly weighed and balanced. But since Oz (stupidly) went to war in Afghanistan & is still pulling people out/trying to get out those who assisted them in the war it's higher on the public radar than whatever is happening in Eritrea. People are paying attention to it.
I'm not exactly sure if you expect countries (strange, irrational beasts all of them, full of quirks and double standards) to adhere to a strict moral equivalency. Even fully accepting your points about hypocrisy and moral blind spots... I think the Taliban are very close to the margin of what Oz public will or will not deal with, compounded by the fact they are very much in the public consciousness here.
I've explained why I think they may be boycotted, depending on how the relationship between cricket team and Taliban is handled or projected to the world. I'm sorry if it upsets you.
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At a time when the political situation in Afghanistan has taken a new turn after Taliban took over the reins of the South Asian country, the new rulers of Kabul have reportedly touched down the headquarters of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in the nation's capital on Thursday. Accompanied by former national cricketer Abdullah Mazari, members of the Taliban regime made their presence felt at the Afghanistan Cricket Board headquarters in Kabul.
A picture of Taliban fighters on the premises of the Afghanistan Cricket Board headquarters in Kabul has also surfaced on Twitter. In the photo, the heavily-armed Taliban fighters can be seen occupying the conference hall of the Afghanistan Cricket Board headquarters in Kabul. The latest development has come days after ACB CEO Hamid Shinwari assured the fans and followers of the sport that cricket won't suffer amid the ongoing political turmoil in the South Asian country.
Shinwari had claimed that members of the Afghanistan national cricket team and their families are safe after the Taliban took over the reins of the Asian country. "Taliban loves cricket. They have supported us since the beginning. They did not interfere in our activities," Shinwari was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Shinwari's remarks had come after former president Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday. "I don't see any interference and expect support so that our cricket can move forward. We have got an active chairman, I remain CEO until further notice," the top Afghanistan Cricket Board official had said.
However, uncertainty is still looming large around the future of Afghanistan cricket and the nation's star players after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. The likes of Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi are scheduled to feature in the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Rashid-led Afghanistan national team will also feature in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 after the conclusion of the IPL 14. Rashid and Nabi are currently in the United Kingdom for the action-packed The Hundred tournament.
https://www.timesnownews.com/sports...an-cricket-board-headquarters-in-kabul/801138
A picture of Taliban fighters on the premises of the Afghanistan Cricket Board headquarters in Kabul has also surfaced on Twitter. In the photo, the heavily-armed Taliban fighters can be seen occupying the conference hall of the Afghanistan Cricket Board headquarters in Kabul. The latest development has come days after ACB CEO Hamid Shinwari assured the fans and followers of the sport that cricket won't suffer amid the ongoing political turmoil in the South Asian country.
Shinwari had claimed that members of the Afghanistan national cricket team and their families are safe after the Taliban took over the reins of the Asian country. "Taliban loves cricket. They have supported us since the beginning. They did not interfere in our activities," Shinwari was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Shinwari's remarks had come after former president Ashraf Ghani fled Afghanistan on Sunday. "I don't see any interference and expect support so that our cricket can move forward. We have got an active chairman, I remain CEO until further notice," the top Afghanistan Cricket Board official had said.
However, uncertainty is still looming large around the future of Afghanistan cricket and the nation's star players after the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan. The likes of Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi are scheduled to feature in the remainder of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2021 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Rashid-led Afghanistan national team will also feature in the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 after the conclusion of the IPL 14. Rashid and Nabi are currently in the United Kingdom for the action-packed The Hundred tournament.
https://www.timesnownews.com/sports...an-cricket-board-headquarters-in-kabul/801138
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