Afghans excited about Test status

Not happy with being referred to as a war-torn nation always, being known as a Test playing nation, comes as a fresh breath of air for the young boys in blue. They know that commendable performances at the junior level could see them wear whites and play against the world’s Test playing nations very soon.

The Afghanistan U-19 team are on a 19-day preparatory tour at the CSS-Whatmore Centre of Cricket at the Ramachandra University here. The venue was chosen for its state of the art infrastructure and the city for its similar climatic conditions to that of Singapore, where the team would be slogging it out for a berth in the U-19 World Cup in 2018. 

Just three days into a fullfledged practice session, the Afghans played a friendly match against Tamil Nadu Cricket Association’s second division team, MRC ‘A’. Having a close watch on his lads, coach Dawlat Ahmadzai kept noting points frequently. Post the match, he was all praise for his team and the facilities. 

“The team is shaping up well thanks to the wonderful facilities,” the coach said. Ahmadzai said the full membership for his nation couldn’t have come at a better time. 

“We have a good team, laden with all-rounders. These boys have a lot to look up to now. Traditionally, it has been the U-19 team that is the talent pool for the senior team. We have players like Rashid Khan who have hogged the limelight with excellent performances. While they all look up to Rashid, the Test playing nation call has also come at the right time giving them extra motivation,” he explained.

The former Afghanistan national player exuded confidence on his team’s performance in the upcoming qualifiers. 

“It is a positive sign that even though we were bundled out for a low score, we were able to defend it successfully. (Afghanistan scored 188 in 36 overs and restricted their opponents to 160 to win the match). 

We have no dearth of experience. We have players like Zahir Khan, who is a chinaman bowler and has a good record. Players like Dharwesh, Tariq and Mujeeb have played in the Pakistan Super League and have good exposure. 

We have played the World Cup four times and we are all set to gain an entry for the fifth time too. These players are strong with their basics and that is a positive sign,” Ahmadzai noted. 

Talking about the future of Afghanistan cricket, Ahmadzai said the real test begins now. “It is now a big challenge for the board, the officials and the players. 

We have to be fitter, more skillful to play the longest format of the game. The grassroots development needs to happen at a rapid pace as this is where the talent comes from. We have the process in place but execution will take time,” he concluded.