Cricket's own 'Rocky' tale
Afghanistan's rapid rise to achieve a place in the ICC World Twenty20 2010 is one of the most remarkable tales in the history of the game.
When Afghanistan captain Nowroz Mangal leads out his side at the Beausejour Cricket Ground against India on 1 May, it will mark the end of one of the most astonishing journeys in cricket history.
St Lucia provides the final chapter for a fairytale - which Afghan fast bowler Hamid Hassan has compared to that of his favourite movie Rocky - that would be worthy of a film script. Few could have envisaged that when Afghan refugees were first introduced to the sport in the liberation camps in Pakistan 30 years ago that one day their countrymen would be playing some of the most famous cricketers on the planet at an ICC event.
As middle-order batsman Raees Ahmadzai, who grew up in the camps of Peshawar, said: "Our players want to play players like Yuvraj Singh or Dhoni, so it will be nice to play against some of the star cricketers. It will be a dream for us to play against India in front of large crowds in the West Indies, particularly in the ICC World Twenty20."
While the challenges of delivering a cricket development programme in a war-torn country are obvious, the funding from the ICC and the Asian Cricket Council has given a chance for Afghanistan's cricketers and administrators to develop its standard of play and build a long-term future for the game in the country.
Between 2003 and 2009, Afghanistan received US$1.6 million in funding, including US $826,000 during 2009, following its success in becoming a High Performance Programme country and gaining ODI status. In 2010, subject to meeting certain funding policy requirements, Afghanistan could potentially receive over US $1 million from the ICC and ACC. This includes a US $250,000 participation fee for playing in the ICC World Twenty20 2010.
The fact they have even been given the opportunity to play at this level, in such a short space of time, is testament not only to this investment, but the remarkable achievements of Afghanistan's team and coaching staff and to the new structures in place in the Pepsi ICC Development Programme.
Previously, it would have been almost impossible for teams to progress from joint 29th in the world rankings, which is where Afghanistan was ranked in May 2008, but the advent of the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League has provided a clear pathway to major ICC global events for all Associate and Affiliate Members.
Although Afghanistan's journey from Division 5 of that competition, where it competed alongside the likes of Germany and Vanuatu, to the ICC Cricket World Cup Qualifier was to ultimately end in failure in its efforts to qualify for the 2011 event, a top six finish at that tournament was to bring plenty of rewards.
After finishing in fifth place in the Qualifier, it achieved ODI status; gained qualification to the ICC Intercontinental Cup, the first-class competition for leading Associate and Affiliate sides; and also a place in the ICC World Twenty20 2010 Qualifier.
By having the opportunity to play regular four-day cricket, Afghanistan's standard of play has undoubtedly improved all formats of the game, under the watchful eye of former Pakistan Test cricketer Kabir Khan, and already it has achieved some extraordinary results.
A dramatic one-wicket win over the Netherlands last year, followed by inflicting Ireland's first ICC Intercontinental Cup defeat since 2004, was surpassed by one of the most extraordinary run chases of all time in February. At Sharjah Cricket Stadium, just days after securing qualification for the ICC World Twenty20 2010, it made 494-4 against Canada in the fourth innings to record a remarkable six-wicket win.
In the shorter forms of the game, results have also been impressive, winning the ACC Twenty20 Cup in November 2009, which it followed up by capturing the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier title in front of thousands of its adoring supporters in Dubai Sports City with a defeat of Ireland.
Off the field of play, steps are being taken to improve the governance structures of Afghanistan cricket and there are also positive signs that efforts to improve facilities are being made.
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) Chairman and Finance Minister, Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, laid the foundation stone of the first-ever cricket stadium in Afghanistan in March. The stadium will be built in the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Township which is located 15 kilometers east of Jalalabad city on the Jalalabad - Torkham Highway in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, while the US Embassy in Kabul is also reportedly set to donate funds towards
the construction of new grounds.
At a grass-roots level, Raaes Ahmadzai is one of those leading the drive to provide more opportunities for young people to play the game, delivering cricket camps in partnership with UNICEF, while the MCC and the charity Afghan Connection has been donating cricket equipment to rural locations, building schools and cricket pitches in Afghanistan.
In the interim, Sharjah will be the home of Afghanistan cricket for ODI and first-class matches, but for now the focus of the team is on the ICC World Twenty20 2010 and adding another plot line straight from Hollywood to this incredible story.
"I think that there is a similarity in the story of Rocky and the Afghanistan cricket team - we both started at the bottom and gradually made our way up the rankings," wrote Hamid Hassan on his internet blog.
"It is easy to forget how far we have come in the last two years since we played at the Pepsi ICC World Cricket League Division 5 in Jersey."
"Having the chance to play against India or South Africa at the ICC World Twenty20 really would be like Rocky having the chance to fight the champion and we are determined to make our dreams come true."
To overcome India, the ICC World Twenty20 2007 champions, would be a scarcely believable part of this remarkable tale, but as cricket fans have found out in the past two years, the team has developed a talent for making implausible plots come true.