Afghanistan cricketers' love for poetry and their fans' enthusiasm

By K.R Nayar

Pakistan fans from Peshawar wear the same attire as that of the Afghans. They also speak Pashto, the language spoken commonly in Afghanistan. An Indian fan said that he was always careful when expressing his support for the Pakistan team to any Pathan since he could be an Afghani

This story was published in The Telegraph, India 

Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi plays in the UAE’s domestic cricket tournament as a guest player for many clubs. He also plays in the Abu Dhabi T10 with his teammates Rashid Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rehman. All three of them are fans of a Dubai based Indian poet Aman Haider. During break days from the match here, they visit Haider to listen to his poetry in Urdu and Hindi. This poet also speaks Pashto. In fact, Nabi has taught him how to greet Afghanistan cricketers in Pashto by saying 'Sange Jodee' (How are you all?).

Mohammad Nabi with Indian poet Aman Haider

When Naib and Nabi were at the wicket

The fall of the sixth Afghanistan wicket saw Gulabadin Naib join skipper Mohammad Nabi at the wicket. The giant score board, to ensure that their names do not confuse viewers, preferred to use Naib's first name. Or else, it would have been Naib and Nabi.  Cheered by Afghan fans all the way, they put on a fighting unbeaten 71 runs partnership.  Incidentally, it was a partnership between the previous World Cup captain and the present. Gulabadin had led the team in the 2019 ICC Cricket World Cup in England.

Unstoppable enthusiasm among Afghanistan fans 

Almost all roads leading to Dubai International Stadium were clogged before the start of the Afghanistan-Pakistan match. Not even the India-Pakistan match saw such a massive traffic jam. Almost all Afghanistan fans had decided to walk all along the road in groups, wrapping themselves in their national flag. Many of them were seen coming in trucks. Many of the Afghans are truck drivers here, and being a Friday (weekend holiday) they were able to come in large numbers to watch their team play.  Whenever Afghanistan has played in Dubai or Sharjah, their fans come in large numbers and crowd outside the stadium. Most cannot afford to buy the tickets but they come to cheer for the team bus and wait outside for their friends who had managed to get tickets and enter the stadium. A cricket enthusiast remarked that tickets should be sold at reduced prices for Afghanistan matches. Yesterday, some Afghanistan fans without tickets tried to climb over the railings and enter the stadium. At the post-match press conference, Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi appealed to his fans to buy tickets and come to the stadium: “Please don't do this again. This is not good,” he said.

Few dew bowlers of the world

In the only T20 International between Pakistan and Afghanistan that was played in Sharjah in 2013 before this World Cup match, Pakistan had won by six wickets with one ball to spare.  Afghanistan’s present captain Mohammad Nabi had captained the team in that match too. Most Afghanistan fans came for this match painting AFG on their cheek in three colours with each alphabet in black, red, and green, the colours on their national flag.  It looked as if both team’s fans were in a contest as to who would make the loudest noise, but when decisions were referred to the third umpire there would be an eerie silence. Though Afghanistan was struggling at 50 for 4, their fans continued to clap for their batsmen. Listening to some of the comments from Pakistan fans seated near the pavilion was hilarious. Since Asghar Afghan and Karim Janat are brothers, when Janat too fell giving an easy catch like Afghan, a Pakistan fan shouted "Younger brothers always follow the elder". Another said that "if Afghanistan bowlers win the match for them, they will be known as the best few dew bowlers of the World Cup."