The Great Game Again

On 1 May, India will play its first game in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies, but it will be against an unusual team—the Afghanistan XI.

On 1 May, India will play its first game in the T20 World Cup in the West Indies, but it will be against an unusual team—the Afghanistan XI. Qualifying for the first time, the team has become a symbol of pride in the war-torn country. Afghans picked up cricket when many migrated to Pakistan after the 1979 Soviet invasion. Watching India-Pakistan matches on TV, the refugee camps in Peshawar formed Afghan Cricket Club. Under the Taliban, an official Afghan team was formed. It’s not enough to live by—cricket players get 800 afghanis or about Rs 800 as monthly salary. But that cricket has blossomed in this ravaged land is a miracle itself.