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AFGHANISTAN


Population: 31,889,923 (2007 estimate)
Population Aged 0-15: 44.6%
National coach: Taj Malik Alam
National captain: Nowroz Mangal
Cricket clubs: 320
Grounds: 0
Turf wickets: 6
Women’s Cricket: No
Playing season: September to May

ACC Member since 2003

National player Karim Sadiq encounters W.G. Grace at Lord's, June 2006
National player Noor Ali Zadran encounters W.G. Grace at Lord's, June 2006

Recent Achievements:

2005 ACC U-15 Cup Finalists
2006 Middle East Cup Finalists
2006 Defeated MCC in Mumbai
2006 Tour of England – won six out of seven matches, defeating Leicestershire 2nd XI, Essex 2nd XI, Glamorgan 2nd XI, Hoddesdon, Ditchling and the Royal Military Academy
2006 ACC Trophy – Third
2006 Winners ICC Regional Development Awards: Photo of the Year
2007 ACC U-19 Elite Cup Finalists
2007 Qualifiers for ICC World Cricket League Division 5
2007 Joint Winners of the ACC Twenty20 Cup
2007 Qualifiers for ICC World Cricket League Division 5

Afghanistan are the rising stars of Asian cricket. Already with a global following, they play with dash and panache, care only for winning and consider every match played to be a matter of national honour. Since becoming ACC members their progress has been rapid and had it not been for tactical naïveté and an ability to countenance anything else but big hits against spinners, it would be they and not Hong Kong who would be in the next Asia Cup.

Had they qualified for the 2008 Asia Cup in Pakistan, they would have had huge support for it is in the North West Frontier Province, in the camps established during the Afghan Wars of Liberation from 1979 onwards that cricket first became popular amongst the displaced Afghans. To this day, Afghan cricketers play in Pakistan domestic cricket and many are proud to claim a common ancestral heritage with their Pakistani brothers.

Robin Marlar, President of the Marylebone Cricket Club, said in 2006 that there are a couple of Afghan cricketers already good enough to play Test cricket. When there are more cricketers, and when all the efforts of those who wish to see Afghani cricket succeed coalesce, then Afghanistan will truly have a team capable of playing in a World Cup.

A billboard put up in Kabul after the team returned from India, April 2006 Cricket is playing a big part in rebuilding Afghanistan after the recent wars. With ACC support the ACF are taking cricket to schools acros Kabul.
A billboard put up in Kabul after the team returned from India having played the MCC in Mumbai, April 2006 Cricket is playing a big part in rebuilding Afghanistan after the recent wars. 2007 ACC U-19 Elite finalists
     
Related articles:
Afghans Are A Hit
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Afghans: Cash and Karzai
MCC Goes Boldly to Afghanistan
Mohammad Nabi Becomes Second Afghan to Play for MCC
Afghanistan Conquers England
Growing the Cricket Tribe
Leading Afghan Cricket
Cricket Warrior

Photo Gallery
AFGHANISTAN CRICKET FEDERATION
National Cricket Academy
Ghazi Stadium
P.O. Box 1824
Kabul
Afghanistan
Phone : + 93 79918 1461 / 79904 1861 / 79933 7678
Fax : + 93 20 210 2470
Email:
taj_afghancricket@hotmail.com
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