From refugees to ‘unstoppables’
Belief, hard work and talent define Afghanistan’s meteoric rise in international cricket. From competing in the ICC World Cricket League Division V in 2008 to gaining Test status in 2017—with their first World Cup appearance in 2015—to winning four of their nine games in 2023, their journey has been swift and relentless.
Despite the challenges and hardships faced by their country due to political instability and conflict, the Afghan national cricket team made significant strides in international cricket, capturing the attention and admiration of fans around the world.
“I see some good improvement,” said Jonathan Trott, the former English batter and current head coach of the Afghan team, at the end of their last group game in the ICC Men’s World Cup 2023. “I see a lot of confidence in players and their ability. I had confidence in the players, but sometimes until somebody does it or they do it themselves, you’re never quite sure. So that’s always a challenge for a developing team or a developing player or nation, until they get across the line.”
“We just need to win a couple of games to get that belief and the buzz around the side and sort of a spring in the step because there’d been so many times, we’d got so close and found a way just to lose,” he said.
“I’m pleased that we’ve won games and found ways to win games.”
Trott was speaking after Afghanistan ended their campaign with four wins. It was a remarkable feat for a team that has shown much resilience in the face of adversity.
On their way to finish sixth at the points table and to qualify for the 2025 Champions Trophy, Afghanistan defeated the defending champions England and followed it up with wins against the 1992 champions Pakistan and 1996 champions Sri Lanka. Their fourth win was against the Netherlands.
“They’re very proud of representing their side,” their coach reflected.
“There’s been tough, testing times, for sure, but these four wins in this World Cup, the joy on their face beating Pakistan for the first time, that makes everything worthwhile.”
Although cricket gained popularity and recognition in the mid-1990s, the game has a long history in Afghanistan. It was introduced to the country by British troops in the 19th century. The Afghan national team was officially formed in 2001. The team’s progress has been steep, in particular during the last 10 years.
“Cricket basically emerged in 1995 during the reign of the last Islamic Emirate Government,” explained Sayed Naseem Sadaat, spokesperson of Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).
“Then a number of refugees living in Peshawar, Pakistan, reshaped the team with their joining. These refugees themselves were learning cricket in private academies and spending their money.”
“Some team members moved to Afghanistan back in 2001 and the team got affiliate membership with ICC,” he elaborated.
“The successful journey was followed by getting ACC (Asian Cricket Council) membership in 2003, ODI status in 2009 and Test status in 2017.”
Notwithstanding the dangers posed by conflict, Afghan cricketers have shown incredible dedication to the sport. Many of them have honed their skills in refugee camps in Pakistan, to where they were forced to flee when war broke out at home. Their hard work and commitment have paid off as they have become formidable competitors on the international stage.
“In the first years, most of the players were refugees, having learnt their cricket in refugee life,” explained Sadaat.
Mohammed Nabi, the team’s most senior player, had taken up the sport while living in camps.
“But since the Afghanistan Cricket Board was formed, it opened the way to learn professional cricket in Afghanistan by building academies in different zones of the country along with private academies built by private individuals,” Sadaat said.
“Nowadays, the players playing in the national team are ones who have learnt cricket, here, in their own academies.”
Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Azmatullah Omerzai, Ikram Alikhel, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveenul Haq are some of those who have honed their talents in these schools. Many more are learning cricket in Afghanistan and playing at domestic level.
Cricket has become the most popular sport with thousands of youngsters busy learning the art in the hope of representing their country. The number of grounds, national and local academies, and domestic cricket are all the result of this great game’s influence.
“They train and learn in national academies and sometimes abroad, as needed,” said Sadaat.
“We have 18 cricket grounds and many academies, particularly the biggest ones in each zone as Kabul Cricket Stadium in capital, Ghazi Amanullah Khan Cricket Ground and Najeeb Tarakai Ground in Eastern Nangarhar province, Kandahar Cricket Ground and Helmand Cricket Grounds in West, Khost Cricket Ground and Paktia Cricket Ground in South and Kunduz Cricket Ground in the North zone of the country.
“The ACB will soon inaugurate the construction of an International Cricket Stadium in Alokhil area, district 16 of the capital Kabul that will have all standard facilities for players as main ground, oval ground, indoor and outdoor academies, swimming pool, rehab centre, guest house parking lot and other required facilities. For international matches, we have been using different venues for hosting games as UAE, India and recently two venues in Sri Lanka,” continued Sadaat.
Afghanistan’s rise in world cricket has also been facilitated by the team’s participation in international tournaments and leagues. They have competed in various ICC events, including the World Cup and the T20 World Cup, where they have showcased their skills and talent on the global stage.
Additionally, many Afghan players have been signed on by international cricket leagues, such as the Indian Premier League (IPL), the Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Lanka Premier League (LPL) and Big Bash League (BBL). Global stars in the form of Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ur Rahman have become automatic picks for every T20 league in the world. Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq and opener Rahmanullah Gurbaz, too, can be added to this list of in-high-demand T20 specialists. These experiences have helped them to improve their skills and to push the team higher internationally.
Afghanistan’s cricketing journey has faced many challenges. Due to the conflict, Afghanistan has changed home bases from Sharjah (2010-2013 and 2019) to Lahore (2013-2015) to Greater Noida (2016-2018) and then back to UAE. But every member, but two, of the squad now lives and trains in Afghanistan. Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, two of their star players, live in Dubai.
“The recent Government of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan does support ACB,” Sadaat maintained.
“They even supported it when it was tough to receive the ICC annual budget due to banking problems. Besides, they have been providing us with an annual budget and help us in any time when needed.”
Since the Taliban regained power in 2021, the country’s economy has collapsed, plunging millions into poverty. However, the Afghanistan cricketers have shown remarkable resilience, transforming themselves from underdogs to a team capable of challenging the world’s top teams.