No home, no problem for Afghans as they keep chasing a dream

Barely a week ago, the Afghanistan team was waiting patiently at Noida – waiting for the rains to clear and the ground to dry up for their one-off Test to start against New Zealand. The next stop was Sharjah, their second ‘home’ in more senses than one, where they made history with a 2-1 ODI series win against a powerful South Africa in their first-ever bilateral series.

It has brought the cricket fraternity up on it’s feet again but then, one is almost used to expect the unexpected from the bravehearts in recent years. No home venue, growing resistance among a section of the current regime against the game which threatens their bilateral ties and the journeyman cricketers plying their trade in the franchise leagues rather than in camps – nothing has stood in the way of Afghanistan’s soaring stocks in white ball cricket in recent times.

If their prowess in T20s was the calling card with Afghans making the semis of last World T20 – the improvement Afghanistan showed in their approach in the 50-overs game in the ICC World Cup last year meant the team was finally ready to bridge the gap between the lip and the cup. Their first-ever series win against a top-five team like the Proteas (ranked No.3), semi-finalists in the ICC showpiece in India, was an ample evidence of that.

Champions Trophy debut

They will be taking their first bow in ICC Champions Trophy in Pakistan next year after having finished sixth in the last 50-overs World Cup, pipping the likes of former world champions Sri Lanka.  

The most astounding of their two wins came in the second ODI which the Afghans won by a whopping 177-run margin, their highest in international cricket. Their previous best margins had come against teams which were, by an large, on an even keel like Zimbabwe, Bangladesh and Ireland but it was a clinical Afghanistan who rode on a century by the dashing Ramanullah Gurbaz and a fifer by Rashid Khan.

Gurbaz, a popular character in the IPL where he played for Kolkata Knight Riders in the last cycle, now has seven centuries in ODIs – highest for his country in this format. With this, he has now touched Virat Kohli’s number of tons before turning 23 while the two batters ahead of them with eight three-figure knocks in ODIs being Sachin Tendulkar and Quinton de Kock.

He won the Man of the Series while Rashid, their go-to man for all seasons for the wickets, battled a hamstring injury to claim five wickets and ensure him the series. The historic venue of Sharjah, which has made it's way in the Guinness Book of World Records for hosting highest number of ODIs, proved their lucky charm - backed as usual by vociferous support from the sizeable expat population.

The series having been sealed, Rashid opted out from the last game and as always, it made a difference to the quality of their attack. Aiden Markram led the counterattack as Proteas earned a consolation win by seven wickets on Sunday – and in hindsight - it must be said that  Afghanistan let go a chance of making a rare brownwash.

Speaking after the second game and series win, Rashid told the media:  ‘’Big opportunity for us as a team you know, to win the series against a big team and that’s what I had in my mind: my contribution will be the key so I have to go and stay till the end.

‘’We had a big opportunity to win a series against South Africa and I think the love for this game is just pushing you to play, doesn’t matter how [hard] it is and I thought I’m able to play, I’m able to bowl, I’m able to stay in the field till the end, why not, I should go for it.’’