Afghanistan fans added color at the MA Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday. CHENNAI: On the eve of the opening of their FIFA World Cup T20 campaign against New Zealand, Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said his biggest dream is to see international cricket played on Afghan soil.Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SIGN UP NOW!“Playing international cricket at home is bigger than the World Cup. It’s more than a dream for me, for the team and for every individual,” Rashid said.
Special dinner for Team India at Gautam Gambhir’s house in Delhi | T20 World Cup
And for the Afghan fans who travel with the team whenever they can, it will be a moment to cherish for a lifetime. On Sunday morning, TOI caught up with several passionate Afghan fans from Kabul at the gallery of the MA Chidambaram Stadium here, talking about the dream they share with their captain. Clad in either the national kit or the Afghanistan team jersey, they never lost their voice even as New Zealand edged closer to the chase of 183.“Inshallah, ek din (one day)… It will be really great. It is a huge dream for every cricket fan back home. We want to host India in our first international match in Afghanistan because India and us are like brothers. It is our second favorite team in the World Cup,” said Jawad Ahmadi, one of the young Afghan fans.Afghanistan as a country has suffered a lot. But their undying love for cricket is something that helps them deal with the hardships of life. And now, with each passing day, the Afghanistan team is looking for a stronger unit – their run to the semi-finals of the last T20 World Cup being a case in point. “The sport is growing day by day in our home. But it will take some time to reach the level of India. But let me tell you, we are as crazy about cricket as you are. We know how to celebrate, you can take a cue from us,” Ahmadi said with a smile. “But yes, overall small steps are being taken to develop the sport and we hope to be a big and strong team in the future.”While Rashid is the current face of Afghan cricket, former captain Mohammad Nabi is widely regarded as its torchbearer. It’s a healthy debate for fans, “who means more to Afghanistan cricket”?“Rashid is our hero. Everyone at home loves Rashid Khan and the way he keeps pushing the flag of Afghanistan higher in cricket is great. He has helped improve the facilities and inspired so many youngsters to take up the sport which is just amazing,” Jawad said.His friend Abdul, a cricketer at club level, had a different opinion. “I got into cricket because of Nabi. Nabi is a real hero for us; he was there from the beginning so we admire him a lot. The way Nabi and his generation started without many facilities and still carried on…it’s just amazing.”
