The Men’s T20 Cricket World Cup concludes this weekend with India playing South Africa in the final. The victor of the game may get the trophy and prize money; however, the real story of the tournament has been Afghanistan’s progress to the semi-final stage, and the country’s now genuine ascent to becoming a major cricket power.
The team’s rise is extraordinary given the chaos embroiling Afghanistan over the past four and a half decades, as well as how international sporting success usually requires deep cultural roots and sophisticated domestic structures. Within the span of around 15 years, Afghanistan has gone from the lower echelons of the cricketing world – playing Division 5 with Vanuatu and Mozambique – to comfortably beating heavyweights Australia and New Zealand in recent weeks.
Afghanistan’s trajectory has been a byproduct of their recent troubled history. Following the United States-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001 and the initial ouster of the Taliban, refugees from the previous Soviet invasion came flowing back into Afghanistan from Pakistan. Having been exposed to the cricket-mad streets of Peshawar, they brought with them not just a love of the game, but the desire to embed it as part of Afghanistan’s culture.
They have been extraordinarily successful. Cricket has now become the country’s most popular sport, and it is the only sport in which Afghanistan can compete at the elite level. While soccer is also popular, Afghanistan’s men’s team currently ranks a lowly 151st and is unlikely to qualify for that sport’s World Cup any time soon.
However, the return of the Taliban complicated Afghanistan’s ability to navigate cricket’s international framework, despite the team’s recent success. While the Taliban have realized that aligning with the men’s cricket team can bring their government greater domestic legitimacy, they outlawed the game for women upon returning to power. This has created problems for how Afghanistan plays bilateral series against other countries.
It is a requirement for membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) that “satisfactory women’s pathway structures [are] in place.” Currently the ICC is overlooking this provision given the extraordinary circumstances in Afghanistan, stating that it “will not penalize the [Afghanistan Cricket Board], or its players for abiding by the laws set by the government of their country.”
However, both Australia and England have disagreed with the ICC’s position and refused to play Afghanistan outside of multilateral events like the T20 World Cup. Both have cited the deteriorating conditions for women and girls in the country, and Afghanistan Cricket Board’s inability to field a women’s team. Technically, the Afghanistan women’s cricket team still exists in exile in Australia, although it lacks the support of the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
It remains to be seen whether Australia and England’s position can create enough pressure for the Taliban to change their behavior. Given their ideological fervor, it seems unlikely. And with the Afghanistan team’s ascent, pressure might flow the other way on Australia and England to relinquish their position and organize games against Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan cricket team exists in an odd position in relation to the current Taliban government. Due to Taliban rule lacking international recognition – and no sporting ground in the world willing to fly the Taliban’s flag – the team still represents the fallen Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, and uses its flag and national anthem, rather than the symbols of the Taliban-led Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
This may also be a sign of hope – for that is what the Afghanistan cricket team represents at the moment. For many young Afghan men, cricket is seen as the only real career opportunity out of poverty, as success can bring financial reward beyond the imaginations of most Afghans. Players receive around $3,600 per game played at the T20 World Cup, as well as being paid a monthly salary of between $1,200 and $3,300. In a country where the GDP per capita is $355 per year, this is money that can transform a family’s opportunities.
Alongside this, there is the opportunity to play in the international leagues. Eight players in the current Afghan squad have contracts with teams in the highly lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL). The country’s captain, Rashid Khan, earned $1.8 million for this year’s IPL season – an astonishing sum for anyone for just two month’s work.
With the success of these cricket players there needs to be an acknowledgement of what they have achieved in such a short period of time within an extraordinarily difficult political landscape. There is resilience and determination on display in their efforts, as well as a natural skill and flair for the game. The hope has to be that one day the country’s women will have the freedom to emulate that success.
