Cricket makes us one, says Afghan skipper Nawroz Mangal

[Cricket Tragic]

Deep in the heart of war-ravaged Afghan hinterlands, where power resides within political pulpits and is guarded by the might of the gun and hardliners, a new religion of a different kind is steadily on the rise: cricket. To the torn and tired population, the game is not only serving as a much-needed diversion but has also become the source of new hope and pride. Now, with more than a decade of cricket to their credit, the pioneers of Afghan cricket are being feted as national heroes. Captain Nawroz Mangal - easily the most recognizable face of the game - considers the game to be an important tool in Afghan unification. According to Mangal, Taliban's latest promise of promoting cricket on return to power is insignificant. "It was under the Taliban regime that cricket started. However, the game does not require support from any particular group. The masses support us," adds the 27-year-old, speaking from his native village of Khost, where he is training with the local team for the upcoming Intercontinental Cup clash against Ireland. Growing up in the backdrop of one of the most intractable civil conflicts in the world, and having lost his best friends and his best years of childhood, Mangal had the choice of giving in to the angst and even taking up the gun. Instead, against all odds, he chose to side with the cricket bat. Uprooted from his home and thrown into the Kohat Road refugee camp in Peshawar, Mangal had been oblivious of cricket. It was only in the spring of 1992, when Pakistan won the Benson & Hedges Cup, that it made a dramatic entry into his life. "There was something electric in the air. People crowded in front of the radio, there were widespread celebrations; all of a sudden, people were taking cricket seriously and kids started playing it in the neighbourhood," he reminisced. "Though it was new for me, I picked it up very fast and fell in love with it." With his new-found love, he came to idolize the few names he heard from word-of-mouth. "I had heard so much about Imran Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Wasim Akram, but had never seen them. We did not have a TV." It took him four more years to see the faces behind those names. "The first match I watched was the '96 World Cup quarterfinal between India and Pakistan. Finally, the names had faces." His fascination for the game and idolization of Tendulkar only grew stronger with time. "My friend got me this poster of Sachin back in '99. I couldn't put it up anywhere, so I carried it with me everywhere I went. I still have that poster," he says. "I have admired his game and his courage. It has been my heartfelt wish to get his autograph on my palm." It is with this added zest that he looks forward to the World T20 in September, where Afghanistan have been placed in the same group as England and India. "Playing against India should be a learning experience. They are world champions, and they improve their game with the amount of cricket they play. We need as much international exposure as we can get," the right-hand batsman says. From wooden planks to the polished willow and rough rubber balls to the hard ball, both Afghanistan cricket and Mangal have managed to carry a country's story from the ravages to a revolution.

:hatsoff:

[dial_100]

Please bring these players to IPL at least...So much money is thrown to these rich $%#%. Give some part to Afghanis as well.

[1983-2011]

Please bring these players to IPL at least...So much money is thrown to these rich $%#%. Give some part to Afghanis as well.

IPL is not an Oxfam, u have to earn it

[jairamesh]

Please bring these players to IPL at least...So much money is thrown to these rich $%#%. Give some part to Afghanis as well.

their hundreds if not thousands of underpaid/underappreciated indian cricket players, so let's not get on our high horses too quickly.

[bangladeshifan]

hamid hassan shud get a chance in ipl imho

[Needforspeed]

The foriegn players should be in IPL for the value they bring to the team..not for anything else. This is true of other tournaments like Big Bash or BPL etc. too. Why do we need Afgans or anyone else just for the heck of it?

[Needforspeed]

hamid hassan shud get a chance in ipl imho

Why?

[mishra]

According to Mangal, Taliban's latest promise of promoting cricket on return to power is insignificant. "It was under the Taliban regime that cricket started. However, the game does not require support from any particular group. The masses support us," adds the 27-year-old, speaking from his native village of Khost, where he is training with the local team for the upcoming Intercontinental Cup clash against Ireland.

:haha: Even Taliban encourage cricket. I watched some documentary long back. It showed young boyez playing cricket in the Taliban training camp.

[bangladeshifan]

Why?

just bcs of his cricket ability :| many ipl teams lack genuine pacer

[Needforspeed]

just bcs of his cricket ability :| many ipl teams lack genuine pacer

Only 4 foriegners are allowed...and there are enough overseas players on the benches of many teams. Afganistan has not played any of the Major teams except Pakistan. First he has to prove himself against quality opposition.

[bangladeshifan]

mangal?? mangal pandey ,had been to afghanistan ........

CHEAP SHOT

[Executioner]

well I dont think their players shud be contracted in IPL. yes theyll be given money but their players will be shown very little respect just like our players- sakib nd tamim They are planning to create their own domestic league which is a good move

[Tiger80]

well I dont think their players shud be contracted in IPL. yes theyll be given money but their players will be shown very little respect just like our players- sakib nd tamim They are planning to create their own domestic league which is a good move

What do you mean by Shakib and Tamim shown little respect? There is quota of only 4 players and some very good foreign players are sitting on bench in IPL .

[jashan83]

hamid hassan shud get a chance in ipl imho

Totally Agree with you. KXIP should sign him immediately. He is much better than many Indian bowlers like Praveen Kumar. He has played for MCC and Associate XI against full teams and bowled beautifully. He played in the domestic T20 tournament for Pakistan again with great results. I recommend to people to search his name on youtube and you will see how he bowls

[Needforspeed]

Totally Agree with you. KXIP should sign him immediately. He is much better than many Indian bowlers like Praveen Kumar. He has played for MCC and Associate XI against full teams and bowled beautifully. He played in the domestic T20 tournament for Pakistan again with great results. I recommend to people to search his name on youtube and you will see how he bowls

Cannot compare with the Indian players as the Franchises will not have the luxury of playing him in the Indian quota. He will have to come in place of one of the overseas players and he will be warming the benches most of the time.

[Tendulkar_Bhai]

For me, overseas players over 35 and past it i.e. Ghilchrist, Gibbs, MURALI, Hussey, Hodge etc should not be picked as a younger international/domestic player could do just a well a job and benefit more. People talk about experience but in t20 you just need to go out an hit it and take responsibility depending on the situation, a younger player can do this just as well. Equally im sceptical about how much influence a star studded coaching team has/can influence in such a short space of time. Players who have been playing 5-10yrs dont come into IPL teams and make big changes to their game.

[Haarkarjeetgaye]

mangal?? mangal pandey ,had been to afghanistan ........

well. he would have been a convert. Thats why you have names like Asif Bhatti and Babar Khanna in Pakistan too.:--D:hysterical:

[dial_100]

their hundreds if not thousands of underpaid/underappreciated indian cricket players' date=' so let's not get on our high horses too quickly.[/quote'] What are you talking about? There is a guy which I dont want to name, he is not even in our final 11 most of the time and getting paid highest of all. We can certainly afford to pay 40-50k for Afghan players. Whats wrong with it. Like get 4 for 100k. They should be given exposure of international game. Moreover Afghan cricket board can earn something as well.

[Crookbond]

If anything we should go the England way to recruit these cricketers into our domestic setup and slowly ease them into the national team.

[jairamesh]

What are you talking about? There is a guy which I dont want to name' date=' he is not even in our final 11 most of the time and getting paid highest of all. We can certainly afford to pay 40-50k for Afghan players. Whats wrong with it. Like get 4 for 100k. They should be given exposure of international game. Moreover Afghan cricket board can earn something as well.[/quote'] First of all none of the Afghan players are worth 40-50k dollaz or rupiahs. Indian Premier League isn't a charity. Even when English County cricket teams use to pay overseas players play for them only the best got chosen to play, they didn't go for any flip-flops from minnow nations in name of development. First of all Afghan cricket should focus on getting their own domestic infrastructure going rather then turning Paki II trying to leech off others.