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A fairy tale perhaps unparalleled in sports continues to unfold before our eyes. An improving Afghanistan has stolen the show at the Asia Cup with a series of impressive performances underlining their emergence into a possible cricket powerhouse.
In the UAE, they produced a historic first-ever win against Sri Lanka followed by a thrashing of Bangladesh. A highly competitive effort against Pakistan was worthy of applause but Afghanistan saved their best for last with a thrilling tie against mighty India.
India was without several top players, including superstar captain Virat Kohli, but Afghanistan’s mesmerizing talent and passion were on show to emphasize their rapid development. Just a few months ago, Afghanistan played their first ever Test match having gained exclusive Full Member status granted to only 11 other countries.
Next month, Afghanistan’s Twenty20 domestic competition will launch in the UAE in another nod to its growing status and professionalism. It’s an incredible rise for the war-torn country with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) only formed in 1995.
Afghanistan gained Affiliate membership of the International Cricket Council in 2001 just a year after the ban on the sport was lifted by the Taliban. Since then, Afghanistan has progressed quickly winning their first ever World Cup match in 2015 against Scotland and they have qualified for next year’s 10-team tournament in the U.K.
In the past three years, Afghanistan has won 29 of 50 One Day Internationals to have a better win-loss ratio than Pakistan and Australia albeit mainly playing against inferior opposition.
The incredible performances of Afghanistan has become a powerful symbol of hope and inspiration for the strife-torn nation. “If we are searching for a model of how to meet tough international challenges with skill, dedication and teamwork, we need only look to the Afghan national cricket team,” Hillary Clinton remarked in 2010.
Hailing from a turbulent country suffering so much heartbreak, each cricketer has a profound backstory that makes it hard not to marvel at their dedicated pursuit of dreams. Manifesting this spirit is all-rounder Samiullah Shenwari, who was too young to remember his family’s determined effort fleeing Afghanistan to seek safety in neighboring Pakistan.
Shenwari was born in 1987 during the final stages of the war between the Soviet Union and the Mujahideen that devastated Afghanistan. “We were from Jalalabad but we had to move to Peshawar for safety because of the war,” Shenwari tells me. “My mom always reminded me of the obstacles we faced. She told me we had to walk to cross the border because there was no car or any other access.
“We had to cross the mountains to the Pakistani side. It took weeks. The dedication from my family is something that will always be part of me.”
Like many Afghan cricketers, Shenwari’s passion for cricket started at a refugee camp in Peshawar where he played with a taped tennis ball and did not use a hard cricket ball until aged 15.
Shenwari schooled in Pakistan and enjoyed living in his adopted country but felt innately Afghan and longed to return to his country of origin that he had no memory of. “I missed my country but it was dangerous to return to Afghanistan,” Shenwari says. “My parents were keeping us safe in Pakistan.”
Shenwari’s dreams of experiencing his homeland were realized in 2005 when his family returned to Afghanistan. “It was incredible to finally be back home,” Shenwari says. “Afghanistan is a country that is continually changing and people have moved back.”
There is plenty of goodwill and momentum in Afghanistan cricket but the country’s security situation continues to cast a dark shadow. Even though they are heroes in their homeland, Afghanistan players have not been immune to the ever-present danger. Star player Mohammad Nabi's father was kidnapped in 2013, while Shapoor Zadran was attacked by gunmen last year.
Much like Pakistan, Afghanistan's cricket journey is likely to be a nomadic experience due to safety issues at home. In late 2015, they moved from the United Arab Emirates to India but Afghans dare to dream of one day playing in front of their fans.
"All I can say is let's hope for the best and hopefully we will see peace in the country soon," Shafiq Stanikzai, the ACB chief executive, tells me.
That may seem a way off but Afghanistan has much to look forward to with plenty of Test cricket scheduled, including a historic tour of Australia in late 2020. Willed by inherent characteristics shaped through adversity, it feels like a matter of time before the richly talented Afghanistan cricket team completes their remarkable fairy tale.
“I truly believe Afghanistan can win the World Cup one day,” Shenwari says. “This is our hope and it can happen. We truly believe our destiny is to become a great cricket nation.”
