From the ruins of war to rubbing shoulders with world beaters at the biggest stage for limited-overs cricket, the meteoric rise of the Afghanistan cricket team is nothing short of a fairy tale.
Amid the explosions rising from constant fighting, political or otherwise, cricket has taken giant strides in the war-ravaged nation. Born and brought up mostly in refugee camps, the Afghan cricketers would hope to leave their mark during their maiden appearance at the World Cup being staged in 14 venues across Australia and New Zealand, beginning Saturday.
Afghanistan cricketers don't have a home ground and mostly play their matches in Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE). They have previously qualified for three editions of the World Twenty20 but failed to make it to the 2011 World Cup in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. However, their promising performances earned them the ODI status six years ago.
In 2014, the Afghans made the cut for the World Cup by finishing second behind Ireland in the International Cricket Council's World Cricket League Championship.
Going into the coveted tournament, Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi would surely like to lead by example.
Born and brought up in a refugee camp, the all-rounder is the only one to feature in all of his country's ODI appearances. With over 1,000 runs and 42 wickets, the off-spin bowler is the one to watch out for.
Having a fine balance of youth and experience, the team would also rely on former skipper and batsman Nawroz Mangal. Mangal also grew up in a refugee camp. The 30-year-old holds the record for the highest individual innings in ODIs for his country.
A key batsman for the team would be the 18-year-old right hander Usman Ghani, who has had an impressive Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Premier League and has also scored an international ton against Zimbabwe.
With the pitches in Australia and New Zealand expected to suit pacers, the Afghans would bank on the duo of Shapoor Zadran and Dawlat Zadran.
Known for his pace and bounce, left-armer Shapoor has 29 scalps from 30 matches while the 26-year-old right-armer Dawlat has 32 wickets from 24 matches.
Coached by Englishman Andy Moles, the Afghans start their Cup campaign Feb 18 in Canberra against Bangladesh whom they have beaten earlier, registering their first ODI win against a Test-playing nation.
They are a part of Pool A, also comprising England, Sri Lanka, Scotland and co-hosts Australia and New Zealand.
The game came to Afghanistan from the refugee camps in Pakistan, where countless Afghans fled after the 1979 Soviet invasion of their homeland. Cricket has now grown into a passion and a binding force for the war-ravaged nation.
"Cricket gives an opportunity for the country to feel proud about the players. And I know the players are very proud to do well, not for themselves but because they know the country will be fully behind them," Moles told the ICC official website.
"The passion at home is massive."
Nabi said that the only constant thing in our country is the infighting which seems to be limitless.
"Now, If there's a positive news like Afghanistan playing cricket in the World Cup, that changes the mindset of the people back home."
Afghanistan have so far played 45 ODIs, winning 24 and losing 21. They registered their highest innings score of 302 against the UAE in Kuala Lumpur in 2014, while their lowest team total of 63 came against Scotland in Abu Dhabi last month.
Squad: Mohammad Nabi (captain), Afsar Zazai (wicketkeeper), Aftab Alam, Asghar Stanikzai, Dawlat Zadran, Gulbadin Naib, Hamid Hassan, Javed Ahmadi, Mirwais Ashraf, Najibullah Zadran, Nasir Jamal, Nawroz Mangal, Samiullah Shenwari, Shapoor Zadran, Usman Ghani.
G-20 countries have 80 percent of the global GDP, and more than half of the world's population also lives in these countries.
The command of G-20 has come into the hands of India. This responsibility will remain with India for the next year. 80 percent of the global GDP is concentrated in these 20 countries. More than half
Rajinikanth said - can't get into politics, can't start the party
South Indian superstar and famous actor Rajinikanth has announced that he will not enter electoral politics and will not form his party.
Dehradun Cloudburst: Cloudburst in Sahastradhara causes devastation, Shivling submerged, one labourer dies in Mussoorie...
Continuous rain is wreaking havoc in Uttarakhand. A late-night cloudburst in Dehradun's Sahastradhara area has caused heavy destruction. At the same time, due to heavy rain late at night in Mussoorie,
India's 5 troubles over before the World Cup: Hardik fulfills all-rounder's lack, Surya fit at number-4; Kohli's backup was also found
Indian cricket team has not won any World Cup since 2011. In such a situation, it is expected that India will do wonders in the T20 World Cup to be held in October this year and will end the drought
Bowling coach Bharat Arun gave Team India's success credit to Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri, know what he said
After the historic Test series victory over Australia, the Indian team is being praised in every way. Despite Virat Kohli's absence and battling with players' injuries, Team India's performance under
Two pet cats infected with corona virus in New York, first case of animal infection in US
In the US that is suffering from the havoc of the Corona virus, there have been cases of infecting humans as well as pets. In New York, two domesticated cats have been found infected with the corona
Russia tortured Ukrainian children with hunger and thirst: 10 Russian torture chambers found in Kherson; Ukraine's allegation - painful torture was given to children
Many torture chambers have been found in the territory of Ukraine freed from the occupation of Russian troops. This was informed by the Human Rights Commissioner of the Ukrainian Parliament, Dmytro
Terrorist attack: After Kashmiri Pandits, now minority Sikhs become a target, killing two including principal after entering school
Two teachers were shot dead by terrorists after entering the Government Boys Higher Secondary School in the Safakadal area of Jammu and Kashmir Srinagar. They have been identified as school
Strong ties between India, Sri Lanka: Sirisena
New Delhi, Feb 16 (IANS) There is a very strong relationship between Sri Lanka and India, said visiting Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena Monday.Addressing the media after holding talks
The effect of the Pfizer / BioNTech vaccine is decreasing in six months, the risk of getting hit by the delta variant will increase
Anti-Corona Vaccine The vaccine of Pfizer/BioNTech will be only 47 percent effective after six months of vaccination. When Deciding on the Need for Booster Shots in the U.S. Health agencies have said
