Al Jazeera speaks to Afghanistan’s captain, coach and former bowling coach about an incredible World Cup campaign.
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Afghanistan need a big win over South Africa on Friday to qualify for the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup. But to even be in the race at this point is remarkable.
Prior to this tournament, Afghanistan claimed their only win at the 50-over World Cup against Scotland in 2015.
But in India they beat former champions England, Pakistan and Sri Lanka and annihilated the Netherlands, and on Tuesday they came agonizingly close to defeating five-time winners Australia – thwarted only by Glenn Maxwell’s astonishing 201, which some describe as the “biggest blow” in one-day international history.
In an exclusive interview this week, captain Hashmatullah Shahidi told Al Jazeera how Afghanistan had found the confidence to humiliate some of the world’s biggest teams and criticized the use of the word “upset” for their victories.
“I still don’t think we caused a ruckus,” he said.
“A surprise is something when you win the last ball or something like that.” As a team we are good enough to beat any opponent. We have the same caliber and are at the same level as the other teams. If they take us lightly, they will surely taste defeat.”
Afghanistan’s victories have given people in the war-torn, Taliban-controlled country rare opportunities for public celebration.
The team has a strained relationship with the government; It still plays under the Taliban-banned green, black and red national flag and is based abroad, but Shahidi says the Taliban supports the team.
But politics has stalled their campaign, particularly in the match against Australia, whose cricket association canceled bilateral matches between the men’s teams because of the Taliban government’s policies towards women.
The Taliban have banned women from the sport, putting an end to nascent efforts to develop women’s cricket in the country.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) says they are trying to find a way to advance Afghan women’s cricket without penalizing the men’s team. But there are still no clear goals or timelines for reintroducing a women’s cricket program.
Meanwhile, Umar Gul, a retired Pakistan fast bowler and former Afghanistan bowling coach, says the ICC also needs to invest in domestic Afghan men’s cricket to build on the team’s success and ensure it does not simply fizzle out.
“They don’t have that many facilities at home,” Gul told Al Jazeera this week.
“They don’t have a proper home structure. They have just started the first-class season but only have four teams. They need to correct their national structure and increase the size of their teams so that they have the potential to improve at international level.”
Afghanistan’s coach, former England batsman Jonathan Trott, told Al Jazeera he did not want to comment on the politics surrounding the sport, but said: “It is our job to be good ambassadors for the sport and the country.”
“And our players certainly bring smiles to the faces of many people in Afghanistan and around the world and here in India the support for Afghanistan has been great.”
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