Afghanistan win, so does cricket

‘Seriously, who writes these scripts!’

Pommie Mbangwa, a Zimbabwean commentator, said this line twice on air yesterday during the final Super Eight match of the ongoing ICC T20 World Cup between Afghanistan and Bangladesh in St. Vincent.

On both occasions, he said this after Afghanistan, while trying to defend a paltry 115, had claimed a wicket at the right time to halt Bangladesh’s progress, a match that they eventually won and booked a spot for the semifinals for the very first time.

Mbangwa’s genuine reaction at Afghanistan’s never-say-die attitude could also be used to describe this team’s incredible journey in cricket, which separates it from every other nation that has ever played the game at the highest level.

For a country like Afghanistan, which has been ravaged by wars for decades and is treated as an outcast by most of the world, mere participating in a World Cup should be hailed as an achievement.

Afghanistan, a team first formed with players who learnt the game in refugee camps in Pakistan, could also be referred to as cricket’s only refugee team, as they have never played an international game at home and are unlikely to do so in the near future.

Given the lack of infrastructure at home, never getting to experience true home support and having no real cricketing heritage, Afghanistan have no business contesting against top sides in ICC events, let alone beating them.

But Rashid Khan and his team didn’t get that memo.

Even with Afghanistan’s lethal spin attack, hardly anyone hedged their bets on Afghanistan making it to the semifinals. The reason for that, perhaps, was their poor record in T20 World Cups.

They have featured in every T20 World Cup since the third edition in 2010 but before the ongoing tournament, had only one win over a top side, which came against West Indies in 2016.

This time, the Afghans were pitted in the group of death in the first round, alongside New Zealand, West Indies, Papua New Guinea and Uganda, with only two teams set to move onto the Super Eight.

The Afghans first showed signs that this edition will be different when they crushed the Kiwis by 84 runs, a victory that booked them a place in the next phase.

Afghanistan’s challenge got even tougher in the Super Eight, when they got pitted against two tournament favourites in India and Australia along with Bangladesh in Group 1.

A 47-run defeat against India didn’t do their qualification chances any favour. However, after Rashid’s team sprung a surprise on Australia and India aided the South Asian neighbours with a win over the Aussies, Afghanistan needed just one more win against the Tigers to reach the promised land, which they did.

Afghanistan’s incredible rise has been international cricket’s biggest feel good story for some years now. Their triumph came on the backs of players like Rashid, Mohammad Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz and Co, all of whom could’ve easily abandoned the national side and played exclusively in franchise cricket.

But this Afghan team has long been on a mission, to bring smiles to their countrymen who don’t have much to celebrate. This determination has brought this side into the semis and two matches away from the coveted trophy.