Had they qualified for the 2008’s STAR Cricket 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.

From zero-access to cricket 10 years ago, and with precious little other sport on offer in the country, Afghanistan’s international success is generating tremendous interest. With the highest proportion of school-age children in the world, one in five, according to the United Nations and 60% of the country below age of 21, there is huge potential for cricket to play a huge part in establishing sport as a social force in Afghanistan.

Being beaten by Hong Kong in the 2006 ACC Trophy semi-final was actually beneficial to Afghanistan. For all their talent they had yet to develop a winners' tenacity. Placed in ICC World Cricket League Division 5 as a result of their ACC ranking, they would have to play anything up to 25 matches in order to qualify for the 2011 World Cup. Starting at Division 5 meant they’d have a chance to progressively build confidence and competence against other countries. They won Division 5 by the narrowest of margins and were more convincing in Division 4 where they were unbeaten. "The opposition has been tougher each time," says their former captain Raees Ahmadzai, Man of the Match in the Division 4 Final, "we are learning about our strengths and weaknesses with each game we play." Winning Division 3 in Argentina at the start of the year was a tremendous effort.

Robin Marlar, President of Marylebone Cricket Club, said in 2006 that there are a couple of Afghan cricketers already good enough to play Test cricket. Current MCC committee member and former England cricketer Matthew Fleming visited Kabul in November 2007 and said that “If Afghanistan played England in Twenty20 cricket, they would win at least one match out of ten.”

Once it becomes apparent to the newly-formed Afghanistan Cricket Board themselves that 'one out of ten' actually under-estimates their potential, then deep-rooted improvements can be made, because as their coach former Pakistan international Kabir Khan said at the start of 2009, "it is just raw talent because there is no real infrastructure back there.". A regime-change under Board President Allah Dad Noori may just do the trick.