Despite assurance from the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) that the Taliban won’t interfere in matters related to cricket in the country, cricketers back in Afghanistan are uncertain of their future. Taliban recently took over Afghanistan and ousted the previous government to take control of the country. Ever since the takeover, chaos has engulfed the country as people have been trying to flee in huge numbers.
Recently, Afghanistan pacer Naveen-ul-Haq spoke about the condition of his fellow cricketers back in the country and said there is fear in their minds. Haq said people back in Afghanistan love cricket and it is the only thing that keeps them happy together. However, the future of the sport is in jeopardy under Taliban rule.
“The fear is there in their eyes, in their voices, even in their messages. The Taliban have said (they) won’t be troubling any sportsman, but nobody knows… If you find positive news, if you see people happy together, it’s only cricket… that brings it to the country. It’s that important to Afghanistan. It’s more than a game for Afghanistan’s people,” Haq said in a BBC radio interview.
Haq spoke from West Indies, where he is currently gearing up for the next edition of the Caribbean Premier League. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has expressed confidence in going ahead with the upcoming series against Pakistan which will be played in Sri Lanka and is also preparing for the T20 World Cup later this year.
However, for Haq, the situation back home has taken a toll on his game and has made it difficult for him to completely focus only on cricket. The fast bowler, who will be playing for Guyana Amazon Warriors in the CPL, said he can’t say if he will be completely focused on just cricket.
“You forget about it for a minute or two to focus on cricket but it jumps into your mind again. I can’t say that I will be fully focused on playing only cricket because you can’t when you see your country like that,” Haq said.
Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s upcoming limited-overs series against Pakistan will be played in Sri Lanka owing to security reasons.
