UAE throw support behind Afghanistan in bid for T20 World Cup glory

Unprecedented run to T20 World Cup semi-final has been keenly followed by family and friends back in the Emirates

When Pommie Mbangwa ushered Afghanistan into the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup by announcing on commentary it would be celebrated from Kabul to Kandahar, it was alliteratively pleasing.

Joy at the rise of the Afghans does not stop there, though. Far from it. Many will feel a part share in their extraordinary journey from exiled cricketers displaced by war to the last four of a world event for the first time.

The sport there first took root across the border in the refugee camps of Pakistan. England, particularly in the form of MCC at Lord’s, helped out at the start. India have played their part, too.

Since they just missed out on qualifying for the event themselves, lots of people in the UAE will have been living this World Cup vicariously through the Afghans, as well. The bond between the two countries in cricket is a strong one.

A number of their leading players, like Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi, live in the Emirates.

Abu Dhabi has hosted their international matches in the recent past. Dubai has been the site of many of their most vivid successes during their rise, such as when they first sealed qualification for a major event, also in the Caribbean back in 2010.

Perhaps the most lasting ties, though, are with Sharjah, where Afghanistan were first offered a home during the start of their journey up international cricket’s ladder.

The Sharjah Cricket Academy has in excess of 40 registered players of Afghan origin, including the cousin and brother of Rahmanullah Gurbaz, who is the leading run scorer in the World Cup.

“I have been watching all their games, even the ones starting at 4.30am,” said Khalid Shah, the UAE batter who is the business development manager for Sharjah Cricket.

“Trust me, I haven’t been as excited for my own team, Pakistan’s games as I have for Afghanistan’s. These players are so attached to us in Sharjah, we have an emotional attachment with them. If they have success, it makes us happy.”

Rahmanullah, in particular, is now inextricably linked to Sharjah. Aside from his family links to the academy, he has played plenty of club cricket at the ground, notably for their A Division side, Bukhatir XI.

Ahead of the World Cup, Rahmanullah said he is indebted to the Bukhatir family – Abdulrahman was the founder of Sharjah Cricket Stadium, and his son Khalaf is now the CEO – for their support.

He has one notable similarity with Khalaf, in particular. After all, both of them started out loving football before they took to cricket. In fact, that might be a point of difference, too: while Khalaf loved Real Madrid, Rahmanullah is a mad-keen Barcelona fan.

“I only played football but once I saw the Afghanistan cricket team on TV I started loving cricket,” Rahmanullah said in an interview with The National before the World Cup.

“I began playing tape-ball cricket in my village. I realised there were other people who knew about cricket, and they told me I should think about professional cricket and that I might be able to achieve something. I said, OK.

“There was no family support but I started playing a little bit of hard-ball cricket. I made it into Under 16s, 19s and then the national side, and now have been able to play around the world.”

He has become a global tourist of great renown, too. Ahead of the semi-final with South Africa, which will start at 4.30am UAE time on Thursday, he had 281 runs in the competition, more than anyone else in the World Cup.

At last year’s 50-over World Cup he excelled, too, most memorably with a quick fire 80 to set up a shock win over holders England.

Their involvement in that competition ended with defeat to Australia in a game which seemed all but won, until Glenn Maxwell played one of the finest limited-overs innings of all time.

“If we had won that game against Australia, we would have been nearly qualified for the semi-final,” Rahmanullah said ahead of this tournament.

“Unfortunately, we didn’t win that game, but I can say that, Alhamdulillah, our achievements at that World Cup were still just unbelievable.

“Now people are expecting something more special. Honestly, what we did at the World Cup we were not expecting from ourselves. The quality of the other teams was very high, and we were not at that level.

“But it shows what we can do. It is nice because we know what we need to improve. I think we are even more special in T20 cricket, so the World Cup will be interesting.”

“Interesting” has turned out to be an understatement. Afghanistan have written another chapter in their story with wins against a number of the sport’s most established countries at the World Cup.

The success against Australia was a landmark moment, especially for those who recall the two sides meeting for the first time in international cricket, in Sharjah back in 2012.

“I saw up close Mitchell Starc bowling at 140-150kph and he struck [former Afghan opener] Karim Sadiq on the helmet,” said Khalid, who was a ballboy for that game,

“From that day, now they are defeating the likes of New Zealand, Bangladesh, Australia and are playing in a World Cup semi-final.

“Huge credit should be given to the people who have done well for Afghanistan in the initial stages, who were playing on sand, with no transportation, no proper practice facilities.

“It is the perfect story of how a father wants his son to be. The guys back home will be proud of it.”

One feature of the decisive game against Bangladesh was the fact Afghanistan lost Rahmanullah for a large part of their fielding effort.

He was hit above the padding on his knee by a delivery that shot along the ground while he was wicketkeeping, and had to be replaced.

His mates in Dubai are confident he will be fit for the last push for the final, though.

“Gurbaz is a sweetheart,” Khalid said. “Whenever we call him he will always pick up his phone or reply to his messages, and the same with [Ajman-resident] Nabi.

“Gurbaz is a tiger and a fighter, and hopefully he will be ready to play in the semi-final. Whatever happens, he will be playing that game, I am sure.”

The final is one step away now. Given what they have been through to get to this point, there is no way they are going to start fearing a game against South Africa to get there.

“If you are going to any competition, you have to have this mindset,” Rahmanullah said.

“You can’t just go for participation and playing. I will always say we are going to win all matches and the trophy. You have to have that dream.

“We will stick to the process and the plan, and the result will come at the end.”