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KABUL: The crack of bat on ball echoes round Kabul’s worldwide stadium as Afghanistan’s high cricketers put together for his or her subsequent tour – simply days after the nation fell to the Taliban.
The calm of the empty stadium is a surreal distinction to scenes only a few kilometres north, the place tens of 1000’s of Afghans at Kabul airport are desperately attempting to flee on evacuation flights.
Following the gorgeous victory of the hardline Islamists, most of the gamers in cricket-mad Afghanistan’s beloved nationwide workforce are discovering it tough to deal with sport.
“The worry is there of their eyes, of their voices, even of their messages,” tempo bowler Naveen-ul-Haq stated of his teammates in Kabul throughout a BBC radio interview broadcast on the weekend.
“The Taliban have stated (they) will not be troubling any sportsman, however no person is aware of,” added Haq, talking from the West Indies the place he performs within the Caribbean Premier League.
The return of the Taliban has sparked widespread worry in Afghanistan and within the worldwide group, reviving reminiscences of their brutal first stint in energy from 1996 to 2001 once they imposed a harsh model of Islamic legislation.
They banned most types of leisure – together with many sports activities – and stadiums doubled as public execution venues.
Sports activities the Taliban did enable have been strictly managed, and have been for just for males to play and watch.
They didn’t thoughts cricket, nevertheless, and the sport born centuries in the past on the enjoying fields of England is common amongst Taliban fighters too.
That has completed little to ease the fears of many gamers, for whom the autumn of the nation is about much more than the game.
“I enchantment to the leaders of the world; please do not let Afghanistan go into chaos,” former nationwide captain Mohammad Nabi tweeted days earlier than the autumn of Kabul, because the Taliban have been quickly capturing territory.
“We want your assist. We would like peace.”
“MORE THAN A GAME”
Cricket was barely identified within the nation till the early 2000s, and its explosive rise in recognition was linked with battle – the game was picked up in Pakistan by Afghan refugees who then seeded it of their house nation.
However the nationwide workforce has loved a meteoric rise on the worldwide scene since then, gaining coveted Check standing in 2017 and now ranked among the many top-10 sides on the earth within the one-day and Twenty20 codecs.
Within the final 20 years, it has additionally emerged as a robust image of nationwide unity in a rustic riven by civil conflict and ethnic battle.
“In the event you discover optimistic information, for those who see individuals glad collectively, it is solely cricket … that brings it to the nation. It is that essential to Afghanistan,” Haq informed the BBC.
“It is greater than a recreation for Afghanistan’s individuals.”
That reference to nationwide id was seen on Afghanistan’s independence day – Aug 19, lower than per week after the autumn of Kabul.
Afghan cricketers marked it by tweeting photos and emojis of the tri-colour nationwide flag, which the Taliban have changed with their white banner in areas below their management.
All-rounder Samiullah Shinwari had earlier tweeted a photograph with the date of the Taliban takeover of Kabul – Aug 15 – and the phrases: “The day Afghans misplaced their nation and the entire world simply watched.”
DIFFICULT TO FOCUS
For the Afghan gamers presently outdoors the nation, there are fears for his or her family members again house.
The household of Rashid Khan – Afghanistan’s greatest cricket star – cannot depart the nation, in line with former England star Kevin Pietersen, who spoke to him final week throughout a event in Britain.
“We had a protracted chat right here on the boundary speaking about it and (Khan) is anxious: he cannot get his household out of Afghanistan,” Pietersen informed Sky Sports activities.
There are optimistic indicators. On Sunday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board tweeted photos of its newly reappointed chairman to point it might be enterprise as typical.
Regardless of the uncertainty, Afghanistan’s cricket authorities have stated their upcoming sequence towards Pakistan, to be performed in Sri Lanka, will go forward.
With no business flights working from Afghanistan, an official stated the workforce would drive to Pakistan and fly out from there.
However even for many who are capable of play away from Afghanistan, corresponding to Naveen-ul-Haq within the West Indies, the photographs from house are tough to disregard.
“You neglect about it for a minute or two to deal with cricket however it jumps into your thoughts once more,” he informed the BBC.
“I am unable to say that I might be absolutely centered on enjoying solely cricket as a result of you possibly can’t once you see your nation like that.”
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