Cricket: U19s carrying Afghan hopes

As their under-19 team prepare to take on India, Afghans are scrambling to buy TV sets. Photo / Simon Baker

As the world's cricketing powers prepare to contest the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand, a minnow of the sport will be playing for much more than glory on the field.

The Afghanistan under-19 cricket team have risen from a backdrop of war and occupation by American-led forces in their homeland, with little in the way of cricketing facilities to speak of, but with big hopes of inspiring a nation in desperate need of good news.

The team's assistant manager, Shir Agha Hamkar, told the Weekend Herald the team were greeted as heroes by President Hamid Karzai and more than 10,000 supporters gathered at the airport in Kabul after qualifying in Canada for the World Cup, beating more-fancied teams such as the US, Hong Kong and the Netherlands.

They managed to do one better than the country's senior national side, who just failed to qualify for the 2011 World Cup.

The under-19 team now have their sights set on a big upset, by toppling cricketing giants India or England in order to proceed to the next stage of the World Cup. Their match against India, to be televised to huge audiences in the subcontinent, is an especially big occasion.

"All at once, people are looking forward to this match," says Hamkar.

"All the people are praying for [us] because India is a very strong team.

"Before I came to New Zealand many people told me that they will purchase television plus cable for this match."

The team are hampered by the lack of decent sporting facilities in Afghanistan, where the infrastructure has been heavily depleted by conflict.

"If we have the kinds of grounds New Zealand has, believe me, we will give you a different team. With the least facilities, we play very well."

The players come mostly from the capital of Kabul, and most are from poor families, Hamkar says. They are paid US$250 ($342) a month to play for their country, and in many cases are financially supporting their families.

"Something is better than nothing. Believe me, there were many of our guys that were just wasting their time, no job, no school. We started cricket in Afghanistan very recently, but the way it's growing up ... it's unbelievable."

Some Afghan players have already impressed cricket watchers in warm-up matches, and Hamkar hopes it will encourage clubs here to recruit their players in seasons to come.

THE TOURNAMENT
What: The ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
Who: 16 international teams - including Afghanistan.
Where: Canterbury, Palmerston North, Napier and Queenstown.
When: January 15-30.