Cricket Unites the Afghanistan Government and the Taliban

[-Robin-]

Such is the unifying power of cricket in Afghanistan that even the Taliban sent a message of support to the team ahead of their historic ODI against Pakistan in Sharjah on Friday. The match, which Pakistan won by seven wickets, was Afghanistan's first ODI against a Test-playing nation and the first ODI played between an Affiliate Member of the ICC and a Full Member.

A spokesman for the Taliban contacted the Afghanistan Cricket Board on the morning of the game to wish the team well and assure them they would be remembered in their prayers.

Indeed, the event appears to have unified the Afghanistan nation in unprecedented fashion. The country's president, Hamid Karzai, phoned officials at the ground several times in order to be kept up to date with the scores, while the country's minister of finance, Dr Omar Zakhilwal, estimated that "hardly anybody was not watching" the match. "Nothing has ever brought us together like this," he said.

Zakhilwal, who is also chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, stressed the importance of cricket in his war-ravaged country and called on the Full Members of the ICC - the Test playing nations - to remember their "responsibility" to continue to develop the game and to reach out to a country in need.

"Cricket is not just a game for us," Zakhilwal said during the ODI. "We have had so much bad news in Afghanistan. But cricket - and this game against Pakistan - has brought good news for the people of a country who have suffered so much in the past. This is a proud day.

"There is nothing that can touch cricket in popularity or as a force for good in Afghanistan. There is absolutely nothing else that mobilises our society in the same way. Not politics, political events or reconstruction. Between 80-90% of kids will be watching this game and they play it on every street. President Karzai is watching and has phoned several times to get the latest news. Even the opposition Taliban have sent a message of support. Their spokesman said we are praying for the success of the team.

http://www.espncrici...ory/552874.html

Cricket is just too good.

Edited February 11, 2012 by Professor Westwood V

[Jeffhog]

Crickets.

The greatest insect alive.

[Scar]

Cricket for the WIN!!

Quite an underrated sport in the UK and in many other countries. People seem to be more interested in the glamour and glitz of the likes of football/soccer than this. That and people usually want matches to be over in 90-odd minutes and dislike Cricket because Test Cricket can last upto 5 days. even ODI's and T20, the shorter forms of the game take fairly lengthy periods of time, upto 8 hours for ODI and 4 for T20. I happen to think Test Cricket is a fantastic sport, because, even though it can look boring at times, is a true test of fitness and character, because you have to play 5 days straight with only a night's rest in between.

Moving away from the sport, I think this is fantastic news. A country re-uniting over a sport, whichever it may be, is wonderful. I guess to the massively war-batter Afgans their team playing against a Test-Nation (A country reaching Test-status is basically a huge honour and indicator of team skill, it is possible to lose Test-status by consistantly losing test matches) must fill them with hope for the future and would possibly even find a channel for success that young kids can strive for.

[Johnny Boy]

Who would've thought that a sport named after an insect could bring people together like that.

[Covskin]

And there was me thinking it was because they were united in laughter at the terrible performance of the England Test Team against Pakistan last month.