Don't worry folks. No bodies here. It is actually a good news story. Afghanistan has beaten the US in T20 cricket. It went on to beat Ireland & has qualified for the T20 World Cup next year.
You have to admire these kids. it can't be easy to focus on sport in a nation as troubled as Afghanistan, but they have managed to overcome some hefty obstacles to get themselves to the world stage. They will get to play against some of their heroes - people they could only have seen on TV. Even better, T20 is rapidly expanding & has a lot of money behind it. If any of them are good enough they might actually be able to make a dollar or two. I hope they do their country proud.
You have to admire these kids. it can't be easy to focus on sport in a nation as troubled as Afghanistan, but they have managed to overcome some hefty obstacles to get themselves to the world stage. They will get to play against some of their heroes - people they could only have seen on TV. Even better, T20 is rapidly expanding & has a lot of money behind it. If any of them are good enough they might actually be able to make a dollar or two. I hope they do their country proud.
'We are the Rocky of world cricket' - Hamid Hassan
Cricinfo staff
February 11, 2010
Afghanistan's battle against adversity during their rise up the cricket ranks has all the makings of a Hollywood script. Now, after their victory over USA which confirmed progression to the Super Fours of the World Twenty20 Qualifiers, Hamid Hassan, their star performer, has compared his country's success against the odds to the iconic boxing movie Rocky, with Hassan himself delivering the knockout blow.
Hassan took 3 for 14 as USA were restricted to 106 for 7 in their pursuit of 136 on Thursday, and it gives him a tournament haul of eight wickets at 8.12. Hassan, who spent time as an MCC Young Cricketer along with team-mate Mohammad Nabi, has been a regular contributor to Afghanistan's growing list of international victories with his pace bowling.
"I am a big fan of American television and movies and my favourite film is Rocky - I vividly remember watching it when I was growing up - and one of my heroes is Sylvester Stallone," Hassan wrote in his Cricinfo blog.
"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. It is easy to forget how far we have come in the last two years since we played at the World Cricket League Division 5 in Jersey."
Afghanistan are now one step closer to reaching the World Twenty20 in West Indies having just missed out on qualification for the 2011 World Cup and Hassan couldn't help but think ahead to the possibility of facing the leading teams in the world.
"We all want to win the tournament," he said. "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."
Rocky overcame all his obstacles to become the champion, and don't rule out Afghanistan scripting their own, real life, glorious ending.
Cricinfo staff
February 11, 2010
Afghanistan's battle against adversity during their rise up the cricket ranks has all the makings of a Hollywood script. Now, after their victory over USA which confirmed progression to the Super Fours of the World Twenty20 Qualifiers, Hamid Hassan, their star performer, has compared his country's success against the odds to the iconic boxing movie Rocky, with Hassan himself delivering the knockout blow.
Hassan took 3 for 14 as USA were restricted to 106 for 7 in their pursuit of 136 on Thursday, and it gives him a tournament haul of eight wickets at 8.12. Hassan, who spent time as an MCC Young Cricketer along with team-mate Mohammad Nabi, has been a regular contributor to Afghanistan's growing list of international victories with his pace bowling.
"I am a big fan of American television and movies and my favourite film is Rocky - I vividly remember watching it when I was growing up - and one of my heroes is Sylvester Stallone," Hassan wrote in his Cricinfo blog.
"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. It is easy to forget how far we have come in the last two years since we played at the World Cricket League Division 5 in Jersey."
Afghanistan are now one step closer to reaching the World Twenty20 in West Indies having just missed out on qualification for the 2011 World Cup and Hassan couldn't help but think ahead to the possibility of facing the leading teams in the world.
"We all want to win the tournament," he said. "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."
Rocky overcame all his obstacles to become the champion, and don't rule out Afghanistan scripting their own, real life, glorious ending.
Afghanistan Destroys the United States ... in Cricket
February 11, 2010 10:17 AM
ABC's Nick Schifrin reports from Islamabad:
Interesting story today out of Dubai, where the out-of-nowhere Afghan cricket team continues to impress, easily beating the lowly American side in the qualifying tournament for the World Cup in Twenty20 -- a form of cricket that lasts as long as a baseball game. Think seventh inning stretch instead of tea breaks.
Afghanistan’s first ever nationally recognized cricket team has been a source of pride in a blood-soaked country since it was born shortly after the Taliban were overthrown.
Most of the players are Pashtun -- the same majority ethnic group from which the Taliban come -- and trained themselves to play on barren dirt and concrete fields outside of Peshawar, Pakistan, near their refugee camps.
Their families had been displaced by the Russians, then by the civil war and finally by the Taliban -- but exactly 30 years after the Russians invaded, a team of young talents came within one match of qualifying for the Cricket World Cup (the version with longer matches). It was an amazing feat for a first-time qualifying team, let alone one from a country that has suffered from so much violence.
"I asked the boys how they feel about it: 'It's not war, just sport', they said,” coach Kabir Khan told the Independent newspaper when asked about playing against the United States. "These players have a real hunger for the game. Throughout their lives they have seen real lows and a lot of hard times during the war and afterwards. They want to prove to the world that there is more to Afghanistan than war."
Next up for the Afghan side: the next step toward qualifying for the Twenty20 World Cup. Next up for the American side: hoping to get a little help to advance to the next round.
February 11, 2010 10:17 AM
ABC's Nick Schifrin reports from Islamabad:
Interesting story today out of Dubai, where the out-of-nowhere Afghan cricket team continues to impress, easily beating the lowly American side in the qualifying tournament for the World Cup in Twenty20 -- a form of cricket that lasts as long as a baseball game. Think seventh inning stretch instead of tea breaks.
Afghanistan’s first ever nationally recognized cricket team has been a source of pride in a blood-soaked country since it was born shortly after the Taliban were overthrown.
Most of the players are Pashtun -- the same majority ethnic group from which the Taliban come -- and trained themselves to play on barren dirt and concrete fields outside of Peshawar, Pakistan, near their refugee camps.
Their families had been displaced by the Russians, then by the civil war and finally by the Taliban -- but exactly 30 years after the Russians invaded, a team of young talents came within one match of qualifying for the Cricket World Cup (the version with longer matches). It was an amazing feat for a first-time qualifying team, let alone one from a country that has suffered from so much violence.
"I asked the boys how they feel about it: 'It's not war, just sport', they said,” coach Kabir Khan told the Independent newspaper when asked about playing against the United States. "These players have a real hunger for the game. Throughout their lives they have seen real lows and a lot of hard times during the war and afterwards. They want to prove to the world that there is more to Afghanistan than war."
Next up for the Afghan side: the next step toward qualifying for the Twenty20 World Cup. Next up for the American side: hoping to get a little help to advance to the next round.
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