Bats and balls over bombs

MUMBAI: There was a Kabir Khan in theBollywood superhit Chak De, essayed wonderfully by Shah Rukh Khan. His missionwas to help a bunch of no hopers, essentially the Indian hockey team, win thewomen's World Cup. That was in reel life. In real life too, there is a KabirKhan. A former Pakistan left-arm seamer, he is on a mission too. 'MissionImpossible 2011.' Afghanistan are desperate to play in the 2011World Cup. Khan, the country's first foreign coach, has been given the task oftaking a team with little resources, but plenty of talent and spirit, tocricket's biggest carnival.Though Khan, who became a qualifiedcounty coach in England later, has started working with the team only sinceSeptember 10, the talent at his disposal has already left him highly impressed."These boys have tremendous talent. They enjoy playing and are passionate. Ihave worked with just 25-30 boys so far. This number is good enough to develop asmall team," Khan told TOI from Peshawar, where the team is undergoing a 13-daycamp, to prepare them for a ICC World Cricket League (WCL) Division Four tourneyin Tanzania.The camp in Peshawar came about with the assistance ofthe Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and the Asian Cricket Council (ACC). "We haveplayed three games against strong local sides here, and won all of them," boastsmanager Bashir Stanekzai."But can camps like these make them goodcricketers? "They are well built and tall and athletic. They are tough, becausethey train in rough weather. No wonder, they have some good pacers and goodfielders," says Khan. Hamid Hassan, a fast bowler who reportedlybowls in excess of 140 kmph, says, "Most of the guys in our team are above 6feet." The weak link is batting, according to the coach. "I amasking the batsmen to stay at the crease for 50 overs and build an innings.There is little time before the next tournament. I can't work on their technicalskills now. I am focusing on their mental skills." Khan benefitsbecause he is a Peshawari. "I connect with them as our language and culture aresimilar." The Afghan camp was initially scheduled in Bangalore. "I don'tknow how it ended up being here," says Khan. "Some of our cricketers had gone totrain in the National Cricket Academy. They were very happy with the help andtips they received from players like Irfan Pathan." But despite thehelp and tips there is only so much a coach can do when a spectre of war isforever looming in the country. "Rahmat Wali, a left-arm spinner and left-handbat, was killed in an American air strike just 20 days back," laments Bashir."This team comprises youngsters who belong to the cities. So they didn't havemuch to do with the war," says Bashir. The team will also have tobattle a lack of infrastructure and infrequent tours.Has cricketpicked up in Afghanistan? "Cricket was introduced after the war, and it becamehugely popular soon. Even for these practice games, over 1500 people turn up.All the news channels are reporting on the matches on a daily basis. When wereturned after winning our Division Four event, the culture and the sportsminister came to receive us," says Khan. There are over 18,000cricketers in Afghanistan. Cricket is popular amongst Pushtoos. MS Dhoni, SachinTendulkar and Virender Sehwag are favourites in Afghanistan. "TheIndian team gets a lot of support," says Bashir before adding, "We aredeveloping a cricket stadium in Kabul and will hold our national domesticchampionship there in March 2009. The Afghan Olympic Committee is helping usout," says Bashir.Much of how the game takes off will depend onAfghanistan making it to the WC. So can they do it? "They are better than UAE,who I coached earlier. Given proper resources, this team should get ODI statusin three or four years," hopes Khan. Bashir pleads, "Please ask the BCCI toinclude our players like Hamid Hassan, Mohd Nabi, Navroz and Karim Khan in theIPL."Over to the Modis, Zintas, SRKs and Ambanis.