It’s a busy start to the year for Afghanistan’s cricketers as the U-19s play in the World Cup in New Zealand in January and the senior team have the World Twenty20 Qualifier in February. To prepare for New Zealand’s conditions the U-19s arrived a week early and the senior team have taken a squad of 25 to Sri Lanka.

In Sri Lanka Afghanistan will play their third first-class match, an ICC Intercontinental Cup fixture against Ireland as well as their first full T20s against Canada and Ireland. Afghanistan will also meet Sri Lanka A in a 50-over match and then in a T20 in what is a quadrangular between the teams. “We are going out there to enjoy our cricket, play relaxed,” says Afghanistan’s captain Nowroz Mangal. Nevertheless, “every match is like a Final,” says veteran middle-order batsman Raees Ahmadzai, who was a passenger in the vehicle that Nowroz Mangal was driving through the streets of Kabul when contacted by phone; “we will try to win every one.”

Afghanistan’s squad of 25 in Sri Lanka will be whittled down to 15 by the end of the tour, and it is those 15 who will represent their nation at the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier, which features the top 8 countries from ICC World Cricket League Division 1, amongst which are also the UAE. The top two teams in that eight-nation tournament will join Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, West Indies and Zimbabwe in the Caribbean in April for the World Twenty20. “This year we could really be playing some serious cricket,” says Raees Ahmadzai, ‘and coming up against the best teams in the world. It is our dream to do so and we will be trying very hard.”

Nowroz Mangal lifts the 2009 ACC Twenty20 Cup

Fresh from victory in the ACCTwenty20 Cup in the UAE in December 2009, “the Afghan players undoubtedly have the talent,” says ACC Development Manager Bandula Warnapura; “if they get the proper support from their administrators they could really go far.”

Afghanistan’s U-19 cricketers are grouped with England, Hong Kong and India in the World Cup, their fixture on the opening day, against defending champions India is being televised by ESPN STAR. Games will also be streamed live on www.espnstar.com.

Related: Afghanistan Cricket Profile

Filed Jan 4th, 2010