Alex Fane has been following the Afghan cricket team for months and watching their meteoric rise from 166 in world ranking to their current  number 16 slot. Many Afghans fled to Pakistan as refugees during the 23 years of war and there they were introduced to cricket. Now, as returnees in their own country, they have introduced this game to Afghanistan. Thousands of players have emerged.

The team won the Division 5 tournament in Jersey, Division 4 in Tanzania and Division 3 Argentina in January . The ultimate dream was to qualify for the 2011 World Cup.

The team went to the World Cup Qualifiers in South Africa in March, where the top 4 would be given a place in the World Cup 2011. In an amazing tournament where Afghanistan beat Ireland, Scotland and the Netherlands, to name but a few, they came 5th and narrowly missed entry to the World Cup. However, the top 6 gained International One Day Status and funding from the ICC and this is much to be proud of.

Alex wrote to every English Cricket County asking them to help him promote cricket in Afghanistan. He was put in contact with Matthew Fleming, former captain of Kent and England player. Matthew had been in Kabul at the request of the MCC and had been looking in to how to help the Afghan team and cricket in the country.

Thanks to Alex and Matthew, the MCC has given A.C a first installment of £10,000 to pay for cricket pitches in our Twin  Schools and to provide equipment . We have built our first concrete pitches at Roghano School, East of Jalalabad, Toot Mazar School, in the North and Sang Boran School in Andarab. The children are thrilled.

The MCC also sponsored our first cricket camp for 150 boys in Jalalabad –held in May this year—please see the story of that camp to find out how it went and the joy it caused.

We are hoping to fund 6 more pitches this year and to run many more camps in the future.

The Afghan Connection/MCC Cricket Camp that was held in May

It never rains in Jalalabad, Eastern Afghanistan, in May. Temperatures are usually up in the 40s and the dust and heat intolerable.  Yet on the 3rd May, as I lay in a high walled compound counting down the hours until our Afghan Connection, MCC –funded Spirit of Cricket Camp began, the heavens opened and the thunder was deafening. The rain cascaded off the roof and the windows shook . Dawn came and no respite. As I ate my breakfast with Matthew Fleming, former England cricketer and captain of Kent, representing the MCC on our visit, the rain came through the roof and onto our bread and I despaired that the camp would ever take place.  

It had taken months of planning . First the funding and then the logistics—150 boys aged 10-15 from 10 schools around Jalalabad, mostly rural schools , would come to stay for 3 days in the city , be bussed into Jalalabad University each day and receive coaching from the Afghan National Cricket Team. 150 sets of whites and cricket shoes as well as caps and T shirts had been brought by lorry across the Khyber Pass from Pakistan .Food and drink and accommodation had been arranged for all 150 boys. The only thing I had not worried about was the weather . 

We made our way onto the streets …which had become rivers overnight. Buildings were flooded and people picked their way to work bare footed, water up to their knees. I smiled at the irony of Britain and cricket and rain ….. 

At the University, the buses had arrived and the great hall was soon alive with excited children. The Afghan Team are heroes in their country having come 5th in the World Cup Qualifiers in S Africa —beating, amongst others, Ireland, The Netherlands and Scotland. They gained International One Day Status and 4 years funding from the ICC.  

The team grew up in the appalling conditions of the Pakistan refugee camps, having fled the war in Afghanistan. With bats made from tree branches and balls made from tape, they played cricket every day and dreamed of returning to Afghanistan to play for their country. Their dreams were fulfilled and having formed their team, they went from 126th to 16th in the world in a year.  

Afghan Connection had supported the team from the start with equipment and enthusiasm and they in turn have become a symbol of hope and success for their country and want to put something back to help others. 

I nearly cried as I watched the 150 boys receive their kit from the Afghan team and then spent time talking to their heroes. Most had never owned a pair of shoes before and the excitement at receiving the kit was overwhelming. By the time formalities were concluded, the sun had come out and the coaching could begin.  

3 days of joy, competition and fun, combined with excellent coaching were 3 days which will never be forgotten by those boys. The Mullahs tried to stop the camp but the opposition was too great . Talent was spotted and 5 boys will go on for training at the National Cricket Academy in Kabul.  

A month after the camp, one of our work colleagues visited one of the schools which had sent boys for the camp. In the classrooms the boys from the camp sat proudly, still wearing their cricket whites and caps. They had formed an after school cricket club and every evening all the boys from the village gather to play cricket. They dream of following their heroes to play for Afghanistan in the future. 

Thanks to the MCC and to the Fairstead Trust , Afghan Connection is bringing cricket to schools across Afghanistan . We have built 3 concrete wickets and have 6 more funded, and have provided kit to many schools across the country. We hope to do much more and any help would be greatly appreciated.

I also visited 10 of the 30 schools we have built in Afghanistan and was so heartened to see the difference they are making in very isolated communities. At one school, 35 girls are heading to University—not one has a mother who can read or write. We read so much which is depressing , but as well as the dreadful things going on in Afghanistan, there is still so much good and ,when given an education, those children grasp the chance to better their futures and want to serve their country. We managed to fund 8 schools last year—this year is proving much more difficult and yet it seems so obvious that the best way forward is through education …and cricket , of course….we won more hearts and minds that cricket camp than the military can ever hope to do.