On 14 June, Afghanistan took another giant leap in the world of cricket when they made their Test match debut.
It is apt that the match was played in India, against India – their adopted ‘home country’ and a nation that has helped them at every stage – to come this far in such a short time.
Afghanistan’s growth in cricket has probably been one of the best stories in modern sport. It’s a story of hope, courage and one of fighting against all the odds. A story that India and the BCCI should both be very proud of, since they have helped Afghanistan a lot along the way. India offered them a ‘home away from home’ to practice and play, even giving them infrastructure to manage their talent, and facilitating the appointment of coaching staff. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has been treated like a member of the BCCI (minus the annual subsidy).
A Lasting Connection
In fact, despite all the criticism the BCCI gets for being the bully of world cricket, the board has played an active role in the rise of the minnow nations.
It was Indian cricket administrator Jagmohan Dalmiya who, as ICC President in 2000, helped Bangladesh become the 10th nation to be given Test starts. India provided training grounds and free facilities to Nepal to prepare for the World Cup Qualifiers in 2015 after their country was devastated by earthquakes.
The BCCI has helped upcoming nations when it mattered and where it mattered. In contrast, Australia recently cancelled their Test series against Bangladesh as it didn’t make ‘commercial sense’ to their new broadcast partners.
The cricketing relationship between India and Afghanistan has a completely different meaning and understanding. It trickles downs from the Indian government’s commitment to rebuild war-torn Afghanistan, and the BCCI carried out that sentiment in letter and spirit.
Most of the members of this Afghanistan team have lived their lives in refugee camps far away from their homeland, in the border areas of Khyber and the North Western border of Pakistan and Afghanistan; in places where living conditions are deplorable, and terrorism is a way of life. But these boys have picked the bat and ball, and mesmerised everyone with their growth and talent. They come from a place where they have nothing to lose, and they play their cricket in a similar fashion.
Recently, in the World Cup qualifiers, Afghanistan was down and out and had to win every game to qualify. Eventually, they reached the finals and beat West Indies to ensure they make their debut at the sport’s showpiece event in 2019. Some of the confidence that the players showcase and their ability to handle the pressure of big occasions may be credited to the IPL, possibly one of the biggest events they have ever participated in. Playing in India’s summer showcase event, some of the key Afghan players got great opportunities, exposure and a platform to exhibit their skill.
Boy Wonder Rashid Khan
The poster boy of this meteoric rise is Rashid Khan, who was born in Nangarhar, Eastern Afghanistan. One of his parents’ ten children, Rashid’s family was forced to flee to Pakistan during the war. They returned to Afghanistan when things became normal again. A self-proclaimed fan of Shahid Afridi, a player who has inspired both his bowling action and hairstyle, Rashid actually got the best of Indian and Pakistan cricketers in the leg spin department. He has the magic of Abdul Qadir and precision of Anil Kumble. Rashid’s success story is inspiring the next generation in a country that is desperately in need of real heroes.
This has been quite a spectacular time for the new babies of world cricket. Ireland, in their Test debut against Pakistan, put up a really good show against a team that has some of the best fast bowlers in world cricket. Afghanistan too humbled Bangladesh with 3-0 in their ‘home T20 series’ in Dehradun. And Scotland pulled off one of the biggest upsets by beating the world’s number one One-Day side, England, with great conviction.
Even before Afghanistan played their first ball in Test cricket, there were talks about the surface in Bengaluru. Their opponent, the world's number one Test side, India, which has the likes of R Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja, probably thought twice before giving them a wicket that has some turn and bounce. This concern in itself is a huge tribute to the growth of Afghanistan.
(This story was first published on 11 June 2018 and has been reposted from The Quint's archives on the occasion of the tied ODI between Afghanistan and India in the Asia Cup.)
(Nishant Arora is an award-winning cricket journalist, and most recently, the media manager of the Indian Cricket Team.)
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