The Afghanistan national cricket team is the team that represents the country of Afghanistan in international cricket matches. Cricket has been played in Afghanistan since the mid 19th century, but it is only in recent years that the national team has become successful. The Afghanistan Cricket Federation was formed in 1995 and became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001 and a member of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2003. They are ranked ninth in International Twenty20 cricket as of 9 November 2011, ahead of ICC full member nations Zimbabwe and the currently unranked Bangladesh.
The national team was formed in 2001, which played in the 2009 World Cup Qualifier after rising rapidly through the World Cricket League, starting in Division Five in May 2008. The team failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup, but did earn ODI status until 2013. In February 2010, the Afghan cricket team secured qualification to the 2010 ICC World Twenty20, the team's first major tournament. In the same year they won their first Intercontinental Cup, beating Scotland in the final.
The future
In December 2010, Afghanistan will take part in the ACC Twenty20 Cup in Nepal, where they are drawn in the same group as Hong Kong, Oman, Kuwait and the Maldives. The event is a qualifier for the 2012 ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, but Afghanistan have already qualified for the event in the United Arab Emirates. Further matches in the 2011-13 Intercontinental Cup and the associated one-day league will be played in 2012 against the Netherlands and Ireland and in 2013 against Scotland, Namibia and Kenya. Afghanistan will play its first One Day International against a Full Member of the International Cricket Council in February 2012 when they will play a single match against Pakistan at Sharjah.
Grounds
Afghanistan do not play their homes matches in Afghanistan due to the ongoing security situation and the lack of international standard facilities. Afghanistan played their 'home' Intercontinental Cup fixture against Ireland at the Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium in Sri Lanka. Following Afghanistan's World Twenty20 qualifying campaign they played two One Day Internationals against Canada at the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in the UAE, after which the stadium was named the 'home' ground of Afghanistan.
As plans to resurrect Afghan cricket and the country itself it was later announced that Kabul National Cricket Stadium would be built and completed by July 2011 it would employ many local Afghans in construction and later maintenance. It would also see new sprinklers, seats, training centre and a 6000 seat capacity built for people to watch and play cricket. The stadium is the hub of international and domestic cricket in Afghanistan Outside of Jalalabad, the Ghazi Amanullah Khan International Cricket Stadium has been constructed.
Current squad
The following players played for Afghanistan in their most recent match, against the United Arab Emirates- Karim Sadiq
- Gulbudeen Naib
- Nawroz Mangal
- Mohammad Shahzad
- Mohammad Nabi
- Asghar Stanikzai
- Javed Ahmadi
- Mirwais Ashraf
- Samiullah Shenwari
- Hamza Hotak
- Dawlat Zadran
Afghanistan on the world stage in cricket
Afghanistan 115-8 India 116-3 (India win by seven wickets): MCC see faith rewarded as the world game's most unlikely newcomers show great promise in losing against India
It is such a joy to read the papers, scan the websites and to watch on TV, Afghanistan getting good publicity for its cricketing skills.
Afghanistan made their debut in international cricket at St Lucia yesterday, which was remarkable, as Dr Johnson said of seeing a dog walking on it hind legs, because you are surprised to find it done at all. Less than a decade ago Afghanistan did not have a cricket team. It had some cricketers but most of them were stuck in refugee camps in northern Pakistan, after their families had fled from the Russian invasion in 1979. When they came home they brought cricket with them, and they have proved remarkably quick learners
Robin Marlar, when he was President of MCC in 2005-06 took up their cause, becoming one of the Godfathers of Afghan cricket, and he detected early on qualities of innocence and physical ability, a lack of inhibition backed by fearlessness in Afghanistani cricketers. They needed all these qualities yesterday on a sunny morning at the Beausejour ground in St Lucia on the second day of the World T20 tournament, and they did not disgrace themselves.
India, the experienced masters of the T20 game, won by seven wickets, needing fewer than 15 overs to reach the target. But the performance needs to be seen in the context of the past two years. In 2008 Afghanistan were admitted to the fifth division of the leagues organised for ICC affiliated and associated members There is plenty of competition at this level, and they moved smoothly up the leagues, just failing to qualify for next year's World Cup, but beating Abu Dhabi to qualify for the T20 competition in the West Indies. Thanks to Stephen Fay of the Independent for permission to run this article.
Hamid Hassan
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