For most teams exiting a sporting event, it's a quick flight home and all focus shifts to those that remain to fight another day.
For most teams exiting a sporting event, it's a quick flight home and all focus shifts to those that remain to fight another day. For Afghanistan at the ICC World T20 things are very different. They will not take any further part in the event but they are already more than conspicuous by their absence, given the impact they have had. They have won fans, friends and plenty of focus. They will remain the story of the event no matter who gets their hands on the silverware on the afternoon of the May 16.
It had all started a while ago. Just about 72 hours before I boarded the flight to Barbados via ash-stricken London, I sat on a stage with Akshay Kumar, Arjun Rampal, Lara Dutta, Riteish Deshmukh and the two Sajids (Khan and Nadiadwala) looking ahead to the tournament and their upcoming film Housefull. It was during this chat that a couple of Afghan journalists made their presence felt as India's opposition in the opening match was being discussed.
Poignant moment
It was a poignant moment and from that point onwards it became clear that the presence of this war-torn nation at the tournament was going to be an integral part.
And it was no different once we touched down at Grantley Adams International Airport in Barbados. From Steven Alleyne the immigration officer who stamped my tournament visa to Keith the coach driver who took us to our stunning south beach resort, everyone wanted a piece of the Afghans. Everyone wanted to know more about them. Paulette in reception at the resort wanted to know if I was a member of the Afghan team. They had just checked in earlier that morning to the same hotel.
Paulette had bought tickets to the Afghanistan vs South Africa game in Barbados. "It is such a lovely heart-warming story seeing them make it this far. And they are such nice looking lads too," she gushed.
And she was not wrong there either. The strapping Pathans with crimson cheeks and bleach blond hair confidently strutting around the white sandy beach resplendently turned out in flowing Shalwar Kameezes (one or two in Billabong Beach shorts and tight fitting sleeveless vests) was a sight to behold.
Even in St Lucia on the eve of their international T20 debut, they were the cynosure of all eyes. Their first order of business was to be part of a UNICEF anti-polio campaign that they were jointly endorsing with Team India. While Suresh Raina, Rohit Sharma, Piyush Chawla, Ravindra Jadeja and Murali Vijay were the known faces at the press conference, it was the five Afghanistan players who stole the show. A couple spoke in Urdu, two in Pashtu and one in halting English. They were fast coming to terms with the off-field "distractions" at the highest level.
Someone asked them what their plans were after the two group games.
Confidence?
"We play in the Super Eight after that, no?" asked Raees Ahmadzai with a mischievous glint in his eye.u00a0 I asked Hamid Hassan about facing the mighty Indians. "Well, we know everything about them but they know nothing about us, so good luck to them!" came the pat reply. Hassan's favourite movie is Rocky and he never misses an opportunity to remind anyone of the parallel between his cricket team and the Stallone character who fought against all odds.u00a0u00a0
At this point a blond gentleman in shorts and a lady with a camera interrupt our conversation. They have been filming everything that we were doing. "Ready for a sunset walk down the beach," he asks Hassan, Raiz and Nowroz Mangal, the proud skipper. They nod, excuse themselves and dash off for a few more moments in the sun(set).
The gentleman who whisked them away is Tim Albone, a documentary film maker who is the process of crafting an elaborate documentary on the Afghan Cricket Team. He has been following the team from well before they made it to the world stage. He has seen their journey evolve from a improbable story of struggle to an inspirational fairy tale.
The writer is a television host, who is an important part of the TV crew in the Caribbean.
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