New Delhi: Playing only their third ODI World Cup, Team Afghanistan today is on the periphery of glory — fighting for a semi-final berth after a dream run that trampled giants on the way.
Even if they don’t succeed in what their captain Hashmatullah Shahidi calls “Mission Semifinals”, the team has already left an indelible impression on the cricket field and on a million hearts off it.
The youthful squad — 11 of their 15 players are under the age of 25 — has so far taken out three World Cup champions, England (2019), Pakistan (1992) and Sri Lanka (1996) and proved each time that they were no flash in the pan.
Their loss to Australia Tuesday — when a stellar double ton by Glen Maxwell upended what looked like a sureshot victory — may have dented their chances to reach the knockout stage, but they are still in the game with one match left.
Leading from the front is the 29-year-old left-hander Shahidi, who as a middle-order batsman has chipped in with crucial contributions. At no. 4, he has so far scored 18, 80, 14, 8, 48 (not out), 58 (not out), 56 (not out), and 26.
Shahidi is quietly confident that the team will make it to the semis. He asserts Afghanistan are no longer pushovers, but as good as any of the other countries competing for the trophy.
He has also scored off the field this time, bagging a partner in New Delhi-based Propel Sports & Entertainment Pvt Ltd, which will now look after his commercial interests.
In an exclusive interview with ThePrint, the captain holds forth on a variety of subjects, from his team’s seismic performance to the cricketing infrastructure coming up back home.
Excerpts:
How do you look at Afghanistan’s World Cup journey so far?
It has been going well. We started with losses to Bangladesh and India. However, the boys made a comeback against England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, and the Netherlands. This is the first time we have done so well in a World Cup. Before this, we had played two 50-over World Cups, but didn’t achieve much. We registered a solitary win, over Scotland (in 2015), which had played more matches. I am very happy and we can be happier if we qualify for the semi-finals.
Which of the wins was the most satisfactory?
A win is a win, and we have enjoyed all of them. However, the win over Pakistan gave us a different kind of happiness. We had played several matches against Pakistan before this World Cup, and they would snatch victory at the last moment. This had been going on for eight to nine years. Beating them now has given us a lot of enjoyment.
Was the win over defending champions England any less enjoyable?
England is a big team. We had not beaten the top-ranked three teams — England, India, and Pakistan. So, we started our good run by beating England. To tell you honestly, when we beat England, I cried with happiness. All wins are good for us.
Afghanistan’s win over defending champions England was not an unexpected win?
No, sir. It was a proper win. We will beat them again, again, and again (when we play against them). We are working very hard. If we would have just talked and not performed on the ground, people wouldn’t have believed in us. Now, since we have done it, people have started believing in our team, and we, too, believe in ourselves.
That win would have surely raised the team’s motivation levels?
We had the belief, but we had to do it on the field. And that started from the match against England. We have taken that belief forward.
Did you have any goals coming into the World Cup?
We have been working on this team for two years — with the World Cup as our target. What we have achieved so far has not happened just like that. We have struggled and lost matches in the process. We have won, too, to directly qualify for this World Cup. We lost all three matches to Pakistan in the ODI bilateral series in August, and we were ousted in the first round of the Asia Cup in September, after losing both our group matches (to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka).
But we didn’t change our team; we trusted the same players and selected them for this World Cup. We always had the belief that we were a very good team. Previously, we would depend only on our spinners, but our batsmen have also performed — and their confidence has rubbed off on our bowlers.
The team is well-balanced today. Left-arm pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi and right-handed all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai, who bats and bowls pace, have complemented our spin attack. Coming into this World Cup, we had belief in our ability — that we can win matches and achieve a semi-final spot. 100%.
You have good Chinaman bowlers — Noor Ahmed is playing in this World Cup and Zahir Khan recently played in Oman. How is it that Afghanistan is producing so many quality left-arm wrist spinners?
There are many Chinaman bowlers in Afghanistan. We also have leg-break bowlers and left-arm spinners. Some of the world’s best spinners are in our team. But not everybody can be selected for the national side. Noor has been in the side for about two years — since I became captain — besides Omarzai, Fazalhaq Farooqi, batsman Riaz Hassan, and opener Ibrahim Zadran. I picked them and built the team, and now you are seeing the results.
Lalchand Rajput, a former Afghanistan head coach, is very happy at your team’s success. He said the Afghan team has the world’s best spin attack.
He is right. However, a team can’t win matches by banking entirely on one department. To see spinners perform, you have to put runs on the board. It can’t be that only spinners take wickets and batsmen don’t score — that way you can’t win matches. The good thing about our current team is that we also have quality batsmen and fast bowlers, along with the spinners.
Did the earthquake that rocked Herat, Afghanistan, in October also motivate your team?
It did. The entire team was sad on hearing the news. Rashid Khan and all other players have contributed to the relief. For the last 10 years, players have donated a portion of match fees to the needy people in Afghanistan. The other thing is that we get a lot of love from the Afghan people. But they also scold us when we lose matches, because cricket is the lone source of happiness in Afghanistan. Credit for the team’s achievements should also go to the fans, as their support and love motivate us. You think of giving something back to them. So, we work hard, work hard, and work hard. When we win, we know it makes the people back home happy too.
What are the tips the team’s mentor Ajay Jadeja provides?
He obviously knows the conditions here in India. Jadeja sir is a very positive person. We also have one-on-one chats. We are here as a team; it is not an individual game. So, we can’t give credit to just one person. It’s the entire team.
Your team has held camps and played ‘home’ internationals in Greater Noida, Dehradun, and Lucknow. Has this prior knowledge of Indian pitches helped your squad?
I was asked earlier in the tournament if some Afghan players’ IPL experience would help. My answer was ‘yes’. But those who have not played in the IPL have played a lot of cricket in India as we had our ‘home ground’ here. That advantage is with us. Also, the conditions in Afghanistan are quite similar to those in India.
I am sure you would have strategised along with coach Jonathan Trott?
Of course. While targeting a win, we would lose some games. But we would always aspire for a win in the next match. This (attitude) matters a lot.
What is the support for your team in India?
We get a lot of support in this country. India is like our second home. When we come here, we feel like we are in Afghanistan. We don’t feel homesick in India as we get love everywhere we go. The other day, I hired a taxi in Pune…When the driver came to know that I was from Afghanistan, he didn’t charge the fare, though I tried to pay him! Why won’t we be happy here?
Are you enjoying captaincy?
Captaincy of a national team is a huge responsibility and it’s also an honour. When I was appointed captain, there were several challenges. I decided to accept them and was determined to do something for my country. I am looking forward to better results. Captaincy comes with pressure but you have to enjoy it.
Have the players become more diet-conscious and made any changes lately, like avoiding certain foods?
When you come to Afghanistan, you would know what kind of food we eat. We eat heavy food. And we are good hosts as well. If I am in Afghanistan for 15 days, I will be invited out for 14 of them. My family gets angry for not giving them time. However, we try to take care of the diet. Some players are indeed mindful of their diet; they are professionals.
Afghanistan has not yet hosted any international match at home. A lack of sufficient infrastructure is one reason.
We have infrastructure, even of international standard. Kandahar has a very good stadium, and we play our first-class and List A matches (limited-over domestic games) there. Khost also has a good stadium, as does Kabul; Nangarhar has two stadiums. The reason teams have not visited the country is because of security reasons. However, the security has improved in the last two years.
The writer is a journalist based in Delhi and has covered cricket for three decades. He tweets at @AlwaysCricket
(Edited by Tikli Basu)