Unleashing the Afghan Warriors (An article written for Sports Action website)

An account of the journey from the refugee camps to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015

You talk about Afghanistan and the first thing that comes to the mind is despair and the struggle for survival. Amidst the refugee camps, gunshots and missiles, there lies a strong will to come out of it. The walls full of bullet marks and the windows shattered by attacks are common sights. There has always been immense passion and the urge to achieve, but the opportunities haven’t existed.

Afghanistan has qualified for the most celebrated cricket tournament, ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. Twenty years ago, cricket did not exist there. Not many know that the refugee camps outside Peshawar gave rise to Afghan cricket. In 1980s, cricket became popular in Peshawar among the Pushto speaking community of the Pathans and the city, soon became a hub of cricketers; Afghans who were born in and around refugee camps outside the city were also selected to play. There has been no stopping them thereafter.

The Afghanistan cricket team was formed in 2001. There were no monetary gains and the players played without proper equipments and facilities. They soon registered for the ICC Division five competition and their spirit made them cross every hurdle that there was. Soon, they qualified for the division four and their elevation to division three got them the One day status that they so desperately wanted. They qualified for the T20 World Cup and a win against Pakistan in the 2010 Asian games was all they needed to make a firm statement to the cricketing world. They also won a match against Hong Kong in 2014 ICC World Twenty20.

Now that they are a part of this World Cup, they would be looking to prove their worth and at the same time, take their game to a higher level. Their captain Mohammad Nabi, raised in Peshawar refugee camp, has come a long way with stints in England, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Samiullah Shenwari is also among those like Nabi, who holds the key to Afghanistan’s middle order. They have a formidable batting in the form of former captain Nawroz Mangal and Asghar Stanikzai. Their bowling with the likes of Shapoor Zadran and Dawlat Zadran is breaking bats quite literally; with each breaking bats of Mahela Jayawardene (Sri Lanka) and Majid Haq (Scotland) respectively. Hamid Hassan with his brisk pace isn’t bad either. What they now need to do is, go out and express themselves with their cricketing weapons. By beating Scotland and achieving their first win in the World Cup, they have justified their existence. It’s time for us to witness a cricketing romance, one that is about to take the world by storm. They would also want to give the test playing nations, a run for their money. They would like to prove to the ICC that the Associates belong to this level and that the idea of a 10 team World Cup is not a good one.

With every Afghan shouting out “Mighty, Mighty Afghans” at all venues they play and everybody back home glued to their TV sets to watch their fellow countrymen play, the onus is completely on those 15 men down under. All we want cricket to do is, to give Afghanistan some respite from their political and social instability. If cricket can bring peace to those back home, why not! If it can give smiles to those back home, why not! 

IPL Auctions 2015...

When the hammer goes down... The T20 Cricket Carnival is nearing us... 

Following the 2015 IPL Auctions, the teams have acquired some players. Here is an updated look at the teams.

Chennai Super Kings

Current squad - MS Dhoni, Ashish Nehra, Baba Aparajith, Brendon McCullum, Dwayne Bravo, Dwayne Smith, Faf du Plessis, Ishwar Pandey, Matt Henry, Mithun Manhas, Mohit Sharma, Pawan Negi, R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, Samuel Badree, Suresh Raina, Ronit More, Michael Hussey, Rahul Sharma, Kyle Abbott, Irfan Pathan, Pratyush Singh, Ankush Bains, Eklavya Dwivedi, Andrew Tye

Delhi Daredevils

Current squad - Jean-Paul Duminy, Kedar Jadhav, Manoj Tiwary, Mohammed Shami, Nathan Coulter-Nile, Quinton De Kock, Saurabh Tiwary, Shahbaz Nadeem, Mayank Agarwal, Imran Tahir, Jayant Yadav, Angelo Mathews, Yuvraj Singh, Amit Mishra, Jaydev Unadkat, Gurinder Sandhu, Shreyas Iyer, CM Gautam, Dominic Muthuswamy, Albie Morkel, Travis Head, Marcus Stoinis, Kona Srikar Bharat, KK Jiyaz, Zaheer Khan

Kings XI Punjab

Current squad - Axar Patel, Anureet Singh, Beuran Hendricks, David Miller, George Bailey, Glenn Maxwell, Gurkeerat Singh Mann, Karanveer Singh, Manan Vora, Mitchell Johnson, Parvinder Awana, Rishi Dhawan, Sandeep Sharma, Shardul Thakur, Shaun Marsh, Shivam Sharma, Thisara Perera, Virender Sehwag, Wriddhiman Saha, Murali Vijay, Nikhil Naik, Yogesh Golwalkar

Kolkata Knight Riders

Current squad - Gautam Gambhir, Andre Russell, Chris Lynn, Kuldeep Yadav, Manish Pandey, Suryakumar Yadav, Morne Morkel, Patrick Cummins, Piyush Chawla, Robin Uthappa, Ryan ten Doeschate, Shakib Al Hasan, Sunil Narine, Umesh Yadav, Veer Pratap Singh, Yusuf Pathan, James Neesham, Brad Hogg, Aditya Garhwal, Sumit Narwal, KC Cariappa, Vaibhav Rawal, Sheldon Jackson

Mumbai Indians

Current squad - Rohit Sharma, Aditya Tare, Ambati Rayudu, Corey Anderson, Harbhajan Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Josh Hazlewood, Keiron Pollard, Lasith Malinga, Marchant de Lange, Pawan Suyal, Shreyas Gopal, Lendl Simmons, Unmukt Chand, R Vinay Kumar, Parthiv Patel, Aaron Finch, Pragyan Ojha, Mitchell McClenaghan, Akshay Wakhare, Aiden Blizzard, Hardik Pandya, Siddhesh Lad, J Suchith, Nitish Rana, Abhimanyu Mithun

Rajasthan Royals

Current squad - Shane Watson, Abhishek Nayar, Ajinkya Rahane, Ankit Nagendra Sharma, Ben Cutting, Deepak Hooda, Dhawal Kulkarni, Dishant Yagnik, James Faulkner, Kane Richardson, Karun Nair, Pravin Tambe, Rahul Tewatia, Rajat Bhatia, Sanju Samson, Steven Smith, Stuart Binny, Tim Southee, Vikramjeet Malik, Chris Morris, Juan Theron, Barinder Singh Saran, Dinesh Salunkhe, Sagar Trivedi, Pardeep Sahu

Royal Challengers Bangalore

Current squad - Virat Kohli, AB de Villers, Chris Gayle, Mitchell Starc, Nic Maddinson, Varun Aaron, Yuzvendra Singh Chahal, Rilee Rossouw, Vijay Zol, Yogesh Takawale, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Harshal Patel, Ashoke Dinda, Sandeep Warrier, Manvinder Bisla, Iqbal Abdullah, Dinesh Karthik, Subramaniam Badrinath, Darren Sammy, Sean Abbott, Adam Milne, David Wiese, Jalaj Saxena, Sarfaraz Naushad Khan, Shishir Bhavane

Sunrisers Hyderabad

Current squad - Shikhar Dhawan, Ashish Reddy, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Chama Milind, Dale Steyn, David Warner, Ishant Sharma, Karn Sharma, KL Rahul, Moises Henriques, Naman Ojha, Parveez Rasool, Ricky Bhui, Kevin Pietersen, Eoin Morgan, Kane Williamson, Ravi Bopara, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Praveen Kumar, Trent Boult, Hanuma Vihari, Prasanth Padmanabhan, Siddarth Kaul

*All the players marked in bold are the new additions to the teams in this auction

Sources: www.iplt20.com & www.cricbuzz.com 

India Tour of Australia - 1st Test Match, Adelaide, Day 5 Review

So close, yet so far... Virat's coming of age as a batsman and Lyon's consistency!

It was a day that began with an overnight declaration once again by Michael Clarke and that India were set a mammoth target of 364 runs to win the test match. How often do wee see a captain declare overnight twice in the same test match? The Indian run chase began with Dhawan getting out to a rising Johnson delivery, which brushed the right shoulder and was neatly collected by Haddin behind the stumps. Pujara struggled against Lyon and was out to a delivery that threatened to spin but straightened a tad bit to take the outside edge of his bat.
 It seemed quite dull for India at 57/2. Virat Kohli joined Vijay who was looking solid at the crease. The two were quite watchful at the start but soon opened up taking the game forward at a brisk pace. India at Lunch, seemed satisfied with their performance in the morning session. The afternoon session though was the one which stood out with Virat and Vijay taking the attack to Lyon and scoring at a run rate which was more than that required. Meanwhile, Clarke injured his hamstring and was soon off the ground and rushing to the hospital. It was a session which had given India a firm hold over the Aussies by not losing a wicket in the entire period of two hours.
 Everybody was shocked to see a touring Indian side bat the way it did, on a deteriorating 5th day pitch. No Indian side before had taken the attack to Aussies with more than 350 runs to chase. The Indian team had stepped on to another level and were not willing to simply defend. The last session began with Vijay batting aggressively and getting close to his hundred. Virat too, was in a mood to go for the kill and reached his second hundred of the match. His love affair with Adelaide Oval continued with three hundred in consecutive innings at the ground. It was a phase in the game where everything seemed chalk n cheese for the Indians. Lyon got rid of Vijay on 99 and Rahane followed suit in the same over with him being dismissed due to an Umpiring blunder. Rohit and Saha promised but it was the same old story with both dismissed just when someone was needed to stay at the crease with Kohli. India surely missed MS Dhoni's experience in tight run chases.

Virat Kohli celebrates after his 2nd consecutive hundred

Virat Kohli pulling during his knock on day 5 at Adelaide

Nathan Lyon carrying a stump after his Man of the Match performance

 Kohli by then, had realised that the hopes of an Indian win rested on him and changed his gear in search of some quick runs. He was caught at deep mid-wicket trying to pull a Lyon delivery and it meant that the game had turned on its head. From India looking to win the test match, it was now upon them to force a draw. Those looks of agony on Virat's face told the story and how much it meant to him and that it was never going to be. Huh! Only if the lower order had shown some grit..
 It was quite astonishing to see an Off spinner running through the Indian lower order in Australian conditions. That tag of being the best batsmen against the spin was lost somewhere in the oblivion. Lyon had picked up 7 wickets in the innings and had won Australia a match; one thing he was criticized before for his inability to win a match for Australia. He had picked up 12 wickets in a match, as much as all the Indian bowlers had managed to take in the entire match. There were no googlies, no doosras, no flippers and no flattering variations, it was all about controlled aggression and the patience to put his stock delivery it in the right areas.
 Amidst all the talk of Indian batsmen having to handle the pace and bounce in the Australian pitches, Lyon had managed to exploit another chink in India's armour. From an Indian perspective though, it was good to see the batsmen go for the target and not drop the guard too soon. India had managed to score 300+ runs in both innings of their first test match down under and the captain had stood tall with hundred in both the innings. The loss did hurt the Indian team supporters as much as it hurt the team, but the fact that India lost going for a win rather than losing while trying to settle for a draw, was a good sign and pleased everybody. One thing that has come forward with India's strong second innings performance and the urge to go for a win is that they are hungry for a win and are not ready to lie down at all. Team India means business this time around. Though India had not managed to win the match, but surely won hearts.
 The 2nd test match at Brisbane will provide different conditions for players and the pitch is expected to be a typical Australian pitch with plenty of carry and seam movement. MS Dhoni will be back as the captain and Michael Clarke will not be playing due to his multiple injuries. India need to carry the same aggression into the next test match and look to exploit the new ball conditions at Gabba, Brisbane. One thing that has come forward with India's strong second innings performance and the urge to go for a win is that they are hungry for a win and are not ready to lie down at all. Team India means business this time around.

(Photo courtesy: ESPNcricinfo)

The preview of the 2nd test match to be held at Brisbane will be posted on 16th after 6 pm..

India Tour of Australia - 1st Test Match, Adelaide, Day 4 Review

A lower order collapse, A 'Lyon' hearted effort and the Warner magic! 

 It all started with an anticipation that the Indian lower order would last so much that the overnight deficit of 148 would be brought down within the vicinity of Australian target. India began the day on 369/5 with Rohit Sharma & keeper Saha at the crease. It began as usual with Johnson going after the Indian batsmen but Saha managed to score of him and the score ticked along in the first hour.
 Australia's most threatening bowler Nathan Lyon came into the attack and got the better of Indian batsmen. Rohit Sharma showed aggression but was out in a way that only Rohit could. His strength of being nonchalant and elegant tends to backfire sometimes and he inevitably tends to throw away his wicket at most crucial times. What followed next was a collapse and Karn Sharma was bowled by Peter Siddle with the rest of the Indian batting falling prey to Australia's 'Lyon'. Mohammad Shami provided a quick fire cameo which reduced India's deficit to 73 runs before they were bundled out for 444.
 With the game hanging on a knife edge, the Aussies began their innings well and were secured at the  lunch interval. Post lunch, the Aussies adopted an aggressive approach and Chris Rogers soon fell to a Karn Sharma trap. The Aussies steadied the ship with Watson and Warner piling up the rains and increasing the lead. Ishant was accurate and Varun Aaron provided a late burst with his reverse swing. He got David Warner with an in dipper but was adjudged not out with Aaron overstepping the crease. There were sparks between him and Warner and the game suddenly began to come to life with everybody having a chat with everyone around. It was time for some Aussie talk and the Indians led by Kohli were not willing to hold back. There was sanctity restored and the game meandered along at its own pace. The Indian bowlers seemed effective in patches and managed to contain the opposition for a while. Meanwhile, Warner scored yet another hundred and dedicated it to his li'l mate Phil who himself had achieved this feat in his second test match against South Africa.

Davis Warner celebrating after scoring yet another hundred

The moment when Warner was bowled..but of a no-ball

When Warner and Dhawan got into a verbal spat

Watson and other Indian player decided to take part in the spat 

 It was time for some acceleration and Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh played their part in adding to the opposition's agony. Australia ended the day at 290/5 with a daunting lead of 363. There were no signs of declaration and it was understood that Clarke would declare overnight and India would have to face the extended quota of 98 overs on the last day to save the match.
 The Indians would be nervous but yet confident having performed well in the first innings unlike the previous tours. What happens next, remains to be seen. All we can hope is that we get to see a wonderful day's cricket with India taking the fight to the Aussies. Only two results seem possible now: An Australian win and a draw.

Key for day 5: Indian batting v/s Nathan Lyon & Mitchell Johnson

(Photo courtesy: ESPNcricinfo)

Day 5 review will be posted after 4 pm tomorrow.. Stay updated..See you then.. 

India Tour of Australia - 1st Test Match, Adelaide, Day 3 Review

Virat's love affair with Adelaide, a knock on his helmet & India's batting dominance..

 The Australians decided to declare overnight on a score of 517 and it meant that the Indians were now left with a stern test of achieving a target of 318 runs to avoid follow on. The Indian batting in the last few test matches had failed to score 300 in the 1st innings of an overseas series. They began in a positive manner with Dhawan getting of to a flyer and Vijay steading the ship at the other end. Ryan Harris got better of Dhawan with a ball that did nothing and it was the batsman's mistake completely. In came Cheteshwar Pujara and got settled quickly with Vijay who was looking ominous at the other end. They stitched a 81 run partnership but could not take their side till the lunch as Vijay fell to a much planned trap by Mitchell Johnson. Captain Kohli joined the crease with Australians sensing a slight opening into the young inexperienced Indian batting. Virat was hit on his helmet by a Johnson bouncer and there was a moment of softness that soon followed. For people in the ground and those watching on the TV sets, it was one of those moments which they feared would lead to unfortunate circumstances. To their relief, Virat was firm and confident and every single Australian player had approached Virat to check if he was alright; it was a classic example of how a certain loss of your closed one can bring two opponents close considering that they were playing merely a sport and that each one's life meant a lot more than the result of the game.

Virat Kohli celebrates his hundred on captaincy debut

That moment when Johnson's bouncer hit Kohli on his helmet first ball

The Australian team gathered near Virat after a blow on his helmet

 The blow came as an eye opener for Virat and he meandered his way to consolidate India's position in the game. Nathan Lyon with his immaculate line and length troubled the opposition and looked the only bowler who could pick a wicket in every over that he bowled. He managed to knock over Pujara with a delivery that turned and bounced only to sneak in between Pujara's legs on to the stumps. At 192/3, India were placed in a tight spot and the onus was on Virat to shepherd Rahane for a few overs to come. Rahane looked dodgy but held his own to support his captain. Virat on the other end was playing a sublime knock and he soon reached his hundred making him only the fourth Indian to score a century on his captaincy debut. It was his second hundred at the Adelaide following the one which came in the 2011-12 tour.
 Soon after, Rahane was dismissed after scoring a scratchy half century to a Lyon delivery that was unplayable and bounced from the footholds to take his gloves and land in Watson's safe hands. The second new ball meant that the runs came swiftly for the Indians and that Rohit Sharma seemed to continue his good form from his record breaking knock of 264 in ODIs. It was time for a last go at the Indian batsmen and Captain Clarke got back Johnson with 6 overs to go. Johnson bounced Virat a few times and was eventually successful in getting him out of a mistimed hook that went straight into the bucket hands of Harris at deep square leg. Saha was kept at bay by Johnson and Indians ended the day with 369/5. It was a good day for the Indian batting and once again, the bat had dominated the ball outrageously. India need to come within a striking distance of the Australian target in order to save the test match. As the history would reflect, the game can take turns at Adelaide quite drastically than expected much as we saw in 2003 when India came from behind to win. As we go into the 4th day, it will be yet another test of character and temperament for the Indians and that they would need to win the next two sessions to save the test match.

Key for day 4: Rohit Sharma - W Saha partnership & the contribution of the lower order.

(Photo courtesy: ESPNcricinfo)

Day 4 review will be posted after 4 pm tomorrow.. Stay updated.. See you then..

India Tour of Australia - 1st Test Match, Adelaide, Day 2 Review

Flat pitch, poor bowling & aggressive batting.. A perfect recipe for a batting mayhem!

 It was day 2 of the series and the Sun had taken an absence leave from Adelaide and it seemed like a typical evening on a rainy day at Manchester. It was Australia though and the stage was set for an Indian comeback and the Indian contingent present at the Adelaide Oval was expecting Mitchell Johnson to join Steve Smith at the start of the day's play. But to everyone's surprise, it was the down and out Captain Clarke who came out and caught the Indians off guard. It was clear that the Aussies were not going to give up in their own backyard and that the opposition would have to struggle for every inch to gain a firm hold on the test match.
 Ishant Sharma began the bowling and it was a wide half tracker which was beautifully timed for a boundary and this, more or less, set the tone for the day to unfold. India were erratic and the woes of bowling on a placid pitch didn't help either. Ishant, Shami and Aaron sprayed the ball to all angles and the Aussies were off to a flyer. There were stoppages throughout and amidst those, Smith and Clarke managed to reach their centuries which certainly shut doors on India's comeback to even attempt to win. After scoring a century, Smith found ways to communicate to his little mate and was soon near the '408' figure marked on the ground. Clarke though, was quite sedate in his celebrations and was able to hide his emotions from the cameras.

The story of Adelaide Oval on Day 2

Clarke being emotional after his century

Smith's century celebration near the "408" on ground

 It was a day when the Rain Gods had decided to play hide n seek and the Indian pacers had left their best behind. though Clarke's wicket in the last over of the day came as a respite, by then the horse had bolted. Australia went in the dressing room quietly confident that it was now a game where they couldn't lose. Kohli seemed to be frustrated and must have soon realized the pressures of test match captaincy. The only thing that surprised everybody was the decision taken by the Australians to not declare and allow their quicks to have a crack at the Indians before the end of play. Many believed that 475 was a par score and that picking up 20 wickets on this flat pitch would require lot of overs. They are yet to declare at 517/7 and can at the most afford to declare in the first half hour of the session on Day 3 or else, it would be too late. To end it on a lighter note, the innings has seen 6 centurions so far - Warner 145, Clarke 128, Smith 162* and Shami 120, Aaron 136, Karn Sharma 143....The first three centuries for good and the next three in bowling, to India's dismay.
 The key for India remains their batting performance in their 1st innings and that they will have to come close to the Australian first innings total in order to save this test match. Hope and only hope, if you are an Indian fan and be optimistic that the Indian batsmen are able to get the monkey off their back this time down under.

Key on Day 3: Johnson & Harris v/s Dhawan, Kohli & Rahane

(Photo courtesy: ESPNcricinfo)

Day 3 review will be posted after 4 pm tomorrow.. Stay updated.. See you then..

India Tour of Australia - 1st Test Match, Adelaide, Day 1 Review

1st day.. Down Under!  Emotions, Nerves and what not.. The Warner Show at Adelaide..

 Yet another test for the Indian cricket team down under & yet another attempt to shed away the poor run of form abroad; India's tour to Australia has come at a time when Indian cricket is in a climb-up phase. There is a huge crescendo that builds up during the tour every time India visits, but the unfortunate circumstances in the past few days has meant that the series has been clouded by emotions and trauma. By now, the first test would have been over and someone would have been leading the series (as per the original schedule) but as it stands, there are two teams fighting for the bragging rights with respect and camaraderie.
  With Captain Michael Clarke fit and the opposition skipper unfit, it meant that Virat Kohli would lead India for the first time ever. After opting to bat after winning the toss, Clarke's men were up and running with a quick fire 50 runs opening partnership, courtesy David Warner. The innings was structured like a two-wheeler wherein David Warner was in the driving seat and Chris Rogers was happy to sit back and let his teammate express himself. To their dismay though, Rogers was dismissed to a Ishant Sharma delivery which jagged away from the left hander and Shikhar Dhawan taking a comfortable catch. In came Watson & out he went with Varun Aaron dismissing him in a similar fashion as that of his teammate. The onus was now on Warner and Clarke and Oh boy, didn't they deliver! 

David Warner remembering Phil Hughes after scoring a century 


That emotional moment when Warner reached 63* and with those shiny eyes he remembered his little mate up there, followed by a hug from his captain who was at the other end sulking with a lump in his throat.. Quite an emotional outburst! Meanwhile, Warner batted all guns blazing to reach his hundred & Clarke in his usual nonchalant manner, was ticking the scoreboard over.

With Australia 206/2, Michael Clarke was on the ground with his lower back pain; he soon left the field 60* and gave an opening to the Indians which they hoped for though not in this manner. Warner perished in the quest for quick runs but the damage was already inflicted with his brilliant innings of 145 at a strike rate close to 90. Steve Smith & Mitchell Marsh steadied the ship for the Aussies before Marsh got out to a speedy Aaron delivery that took off from a good length spot only to edge the ball to Kohli's safe hands. India was on a late surge with the second new ball by then and quickly dismissed the Night-watchman Nathan Lyon and the keeper Haddin who were both, victims of Mohammad Shami's accuracy. 
 There was another Phil Hughes moment with Steve Smith pointing at his sleeve which had a black band with "PH" written over it and the fact that number 63* had taken away so much out of the Aussies, was once again realized. Australia at the close of play on Day 1 were 354/6 with a secret mark of uncertainty written all over Clarke's further involvement. India can be satisfied with their performance considering the fact that they lost the toss and were put in on a flat docile pitch with very little assistance for a breed in cricket also called as "bowlers". It was a day where Captain Kohli improvised, expressed and was inspirational enough to motivate his fast bowlers. India's ground fielding was exuberant and the much lacked slip catching on England tour had significantly improved. 
 For India to keep fighting in the test match, they would need to bundle out the Aussies below 450 and exhibit a good batting display themselves. The pitch is tailor made for a run feast and is expected to slow down, it being a drop-in pitch straight out of the mould. If the two teams end up scoring almost the same amount of runs in their first innings, it is rather obvious that the 1st test match will end in a draw unless there are a few last moment collapses. You never know with cricket, don't you? Key for India: Get Australia all out for less than 450 in the 1st session on Day 2..

(Photo courtesy: ESPNcricinfo)

Day 2 review will be posted after 4 pm tomorrow..Stay updated.. See you then..