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Home , Angelo Mathews, Chamara Kapugedera, Dinesh Chandimal, Lasith Malinga, Mohammad Nabi, Suranga Lakmal

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 9, 2016 Afghans hope for T20 glory in adopted homeland

NEW : , whose cricketing fairytale Delhi. “We have seen difficult times back home, Afghanistan must top a group that includes Test dence as he practises the ‘helicopter’, the trademark has captured the hearts of fans around the world, hope where there are no proper grounds and acad- nation , Hong Kong and . The shot of his idol, Indian skipper Mahendra Singh to do their own supporters proud in their adopted emies. But now we are at the big stage,” added Nabi, Scots will be their first opponents in Nagpur on Dhoni. “The troubles back home are not really on our Indian homeland with the start of the World . who is back in the ranks after a three-year spell as Tuesday evening. minds when we take the field,” Shahzad told AFP. Since overcoming the odds to compete in the . Although he was born in the eastern Afghan “We are not here just to participate in the tourna- 2010 World T20 in , the Afghan team has province of Logar, Nabi moved to in INZY IN CHARGE ment, we have come here to do something.” managed to qualify for all the major international as a youngster when his family sought shel- Inzamam, one of the finest batsman of his genera- As part of a deal with the Indian cricket board, tournaments, including last year’s 50-over World ter from the civil war that wracked their homeland. tion, says his charges don’t lack for talent but need Afghanistan is now based at Noida stadium where a Cup. But this time round, the one-time nomads- Cricket struggled to get a foothold in Afghanistan greater exposure to take the next step up. group of fans could be seen seeking autographs. many of whom were born or brought up in exile-will under the Taliban, the hardline Islamist regime which “I obviously share my experience with them, but “It’s wonderful, it’s a treat for us and a dream be playing on what is now officially home turf after was toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001. they will only learn when put in such situations,” come true,” said Habib Rahman as he watched the they made a suburb of New Delhi their headquarters. But the millions of Afghan refugees who fled Inzamam told AFP. “If you want to learn swimming team go through the paces. “We will definitely go And with tens of thousands of Afghan expats liv- across the border into Pakistan found themselves in then you will have to jump in the water, no matter watch our team’s games. In Delhi or wherever they ing in the Indian capital, Asghar Stanikzai’s side can a cricketing crazy nation and many youngsters soon how many lessons you get on the ground. “They are play, we will go,” said Badshah Khan, another expat expect to be cheered on by a sizeable contingent of caught the bug themselves. Many grew up idolising ready for international cricket and now they just living in Delhi. Batsman Nabi says the establishment supporters in the game’s heartland. Pakistan batsman Inzamam-ul-Haq who agreed last need exposure.” Much of the team’s hope rests on the of a permanent base has been a boon, allowing the “I have been with the team for the past 15 years October to become Afghanistan’s new coach with a shoulders of , the wicketkeep- side to concentrate on the task at hand rather than and I am very satisfied with the side’s progress... It’s a brief to make sure the team make the second phase er-batsman who bludgeoned an unbeaten 118 off worry about events back home. “It’s a good facility brilliant achievement in a very short span of time,” of a major tournament for the first time. just 67 balls during a T20 international against here and we faced some good cricketers here,” Nabi veteran batsman told AFP during a If they are to take on the established international Zimbabwe in January. Shahzad, who was born in the said. “There are difficult times back home, but we recent nets session in Noida, a satellite city of New teams in the second week of the tournament, eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad, oozes with confi- tend to focus on our cricket.” — AFP

KOLKATA: West indies cricketer relaxes on ground as former fast bowler and coach Curtley Ambrose, second right, gestures during a training session prior to their practice match of the ICC World Twenty20 2016 cricket tournament in Kolkata, , yesterday. — AP Sammy hails Gayle as T20’s ultimate destroyer

KOLKATA: Skipper Darren Sammy hailed con- arrival in India for the World T20, Sammy said in T20s while playing for the Bangalore Royal ings, behind India. The West Indies’ last visit to absence is a particular blow as he has been troversial star batsman Chris Gayle as T20 crick- the 36-year-old Jamaican was admired by his Challengers in the three India ended in acrimony when the team flew one of the standouts in the IPL but he pulled et’s most destructive player yesterday as he teammates for his behaviour on and off the years ago, hitting an unbeaten 175 off 66 balls. back to the Caribbean in the middle of a tour out as he felt under-prepared after serving a insisted the West Indies’ troubled build-up to field. “Chris is a massive figure for us, not only He lit up the first World T20 in 2007 by notch- after a bust-up over pay. Another pay dispute suspension for a suspect action. the World Cup would not undermine their on the cricket field but off the field as well,” ing the format’s first international and last month cast a doubt over their appearance But Sammy said all the off-field problems prospects. Sammy said in Kolkata. a recent 12-ball half-century in the Big Bash at the World T20 and while the row has since would be put behind them. “Once you step Gayle was branded a sexist after trying to “To me he is the best T20 batsman, the most illustrated how his powers remain undimmed. been resolved, relations between players and out on the cricket field you shouldn’t be wor- flirt with an Australian TV presenter live on air destructive one in this game so he knows his While the West Indies dominated Test crick- board remain strained. ryied about contracts or other stuff. “At the end in January during the Big Bash League and game inside out.” Like several other West Indies et in the 1980s, they are now one of the weak- of the day we are professionals but right now is some Caribbean fans are unhappy he is often players, Gayle has become accustomed to play- est teams in the five-day game. MISSING NARINE the time to focus on cricket,” he said. “It’s always unavailable for national duty but then plays in ing T20 cricket in Indian conditions after But they remain a force in the shortest for- To make matters worse, allrounder Kieron difficult to replace someone like Narine but we big money Twenty20 tournaments. appearing regularly in the IPL over the last mat, winning the World T20 in 2012 and and Pollard and off-spinner Sunil Narine both with- believe the players in the team could still But in a press conference after his team’s decade. Gayle racked up the highest ever score are currently joint second in the world rank- drew from the initial World T20 squad. Narine’s come and get the job done for us.” — AFP Malinga steps down as Dhoni plays down India’s captain for World T20 World T20 favourites tag : ’s World Twenty20 title final few matches and Malinga stepped in to lead defence suffered a jolt on the day the tournament them to glory. KOLKATA: Indian skipper Mahendra Singh ages over 50 in the format. Openers Rohit “We have to keep our intensity up and focus gets underway with ’s slow recovery “He is stepping down only from captaincy,” Sri Dhoni sought to downplay expectations yester- Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan have also hit a pur- should be there right from the very first ball. “I from a knee injury forcing the fast bowler to hand Lanka Cricket (SLC) secretary Mohan de Silva told day about his side’s prospects at the World ple patch while the bowlers have impressed too, think everything is set. I don’t think there are any over captaincy to . Reuters on Monday. “He has offered himself for Twenty20 despite starting as roaring favourites including the wily off-spinner Ravichandran more gears left for us to operate.” India start their Malinga remains available for Super 10 stage selection only after (March) 15 because he is to win the title on home turf. Dhoni’s men have Ashwin. With the players looking well-settled, campaign against next Tuesday fol- matches but the paceman with blond-tinted hair undergoing some treatment here in Sri Lanka,” de been on a roll since the start of the year, winning Dhoni said he saw no reason to tinker with team lowed by a much-awaited clash with archrivals and an unorthodox action may not be the same Silva added. Test and one-day captain Mathews was named Malinga’s deputy in the original Sri 10 out of 11 Twenty20 internationals, with the strategy. “We are running on the sixth gear Pakistan in the northern hill town of Dharamsala Lankan squad for the tournament in India. latest being a comprehensive title-winning tri- (although) I know the technology has gone into on March 19. The final will be played on April 3 at Malinga, 32, is recovering slowly from a knee umph at the weekend over in the the eighth gear,” he quipped. Kolkata’s . — AFP injury and is not certain to play all the side’s . Their recent form even led former matches in India. opener Virender Sehwag to proclaim that the The defending champions also added Lahiru world’s number one team had a “99 percent” Sibanda powers Zimbabwe Thirimanne and , replacing Jeffrey chance of winning the trophy for a second time. Vandersay and from the origi- India won the inaugural edition in 2007 and nal squad. “We still believe we have a very good are gunning to become the tournament’s only to opening win chance of winning the World Cup with this combi- two-time winners. Dhoni however refused to be NAGPUR: Opener Vusi Sibanda struck a fluent two sixes. A late flourish by Afzal (31 ) nation,” SLC chairman Thilanga Sumathipala told a pulled down by the weight of expectations, half-century to help Zimbabwe defeat a scan- gave the team some hope but the ever- news conference. Sri Lanka begin their bid for a focusing instead on taking one game at a time. dal-hit Hong Kong by 14 runs in the opening increasing rate proved too much for a side second World Twenty20 title on March 17 with a “When it comes to expectations, I don’t think group encounter of the World T20 in Nagpur participating in just its second World T20. Super 10 stage match against a yet-to-be-identi- it is any lesser than what it was in the 2011 World yesterday. Stung by a corruption charge prior Hong Kong’s preparations were badly hit by fied qualifier in Kolkata. After the team’s poor Cup,” Dhoni, 34, said, referring to India’s winning to the start of the sixth edition of the tourna- the suspension of their all-rounder Irfan showing in the recent Asia Cup, where they lost all campaign at home that year in the 50-over for- ment, Hong Kong had their moments in the Ahmed in January as part of an ongoing cor- but one of their four matches, SLC also replaced mat. “We don’t think too much about the expec- game but failed to capitalise. Electing to field, ruption investigation and the opening day loss the entire selection committee with a new panel tations, the reason being it can put you under Hong Kong’s bowlers made early inroads but has only added salt to their wounds. headed by former captain . pressure,” he said at a press conference in Sibanda held fort with a 46-ball 59 to guide his Among from the positives that Hong Kong great and former side to 158 for eight. Sibanda’s 61-run fifth could gather from the outing was their near- stumper-opener Romesh Kaluwitharana are also Kolkata. “We are looking to make a slow and steady progress, rather than think too far ahead,” with and a perfect that forced three run-outs Lasith Malinga part of the new five-member selection panel. late blitz by ensured the and yielded some good catches in the Sri Lanka squad: Angelo Mathews (captain), said the wicket-keeping batsman, who is widely expected to retire at the end of the tournament. total remained beyond the grasp of Hong Zimbabwe innings. Other Group B members force which has been key to Sri Lanka’s progress to , , Lahiru Kong who in turn could only manage 144 for Afghanistan and Scotland are up next in the three World Twenty20 finals over the last four edi- Thirimanne, , , India, hosting the format’s world cup for the first time, boast a string of players in form, start- six in their 20 overs. The Tanwir Afzal-led side second game of the day. The top sides from tions. The team, however, can take heart from the , , Nuwan lost a couple of early , but opener Group A and B will move in to the Super 10 ing with captain-in-waiting . Kohli, fact that a similarly forced change in captaincy Kulasekara, Lasith Malinga, , Jamie Atkinson put up some fight with a gutsy stage involving the eight established teams of marked their triumphant 2014 campaign when , , Milinda who already captains India in Tests, has nine 53 off 44 balls, including four boundaries and world cricket. — AFP out-of-form skipper Dinesh Chandimal sat out the Siriwardana, Suranga Lakmal. — Reuters fifties in his last 14 Twenty20 innings, and aver-