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Jubilant Afghan team ready to take on world’s best

Afghanistan beat Ireland by eight wickets in the weekend qualifier in Dubai and progress to the third World Twenty20 in the West Indies in April-May - the first major tournament for the Afghan team.

“We will have matches against India and South Africa. We will be working hard to upset one of the teams,” said batting all-rounder Karim Sadiq, whose team will be in Group C with India and South Africa.

The 25-year-old predicted big celebrations over the team’s qualification in his homeland, where Afghan, US and NATO troops are battling a Taliban insurgency in a country battered by decades of war.

“People in my country are very happy, and there will be big celebrations in Afghanistan when we return,” he told AFP by phone from Dubai. “I think maybe three million people will come to the city to celebrate and dance.”

Sadiq, who scored an aggressive 15-ball 34 in the final, said he will prepare extensively for the World Twenty20.

“I will go to Afghanistan and practice on a 14-metre wicket against fast bowlers where the ball will be coming at 160-165 kilometres (per hour) and I will practice just hitting and hitting,” he said.

“Dale Steyn will be no problem,” said Sadiq of the South African spearhead.

“He bowls at 150 or 145 (kilometres per hour) - we have Hamid Hassan who bowls at 145 and Shapoor Zadran and we hit sixes in every over off them back in Afghanistan.”

Leg-spinner Samiullah Shenwari said the qualification was a dream come true for Afghanistan’s players.

“Our dreams are realised and we are now playing in the ICC World Twenty20. We worked very hard in Sri Lanka for one month in the build-up to this tournament.... We will soon be ready for the world’s best,” he said from Dubai.

“I remember watching cricket from the West Indies on television when I was young. I am so happy that I will now be playing in the land of my favourite player Brian Lara,” said Shenwari of the retired West Indian legend.

Raees Ahmedzai vowed his team-mates would rival Indian stars.

“Our players want to match players like Yuvraj Singh and Mahendra Singh Dhoni,” said the 25-year-old leg-spinner.

“We want to see the grounds in the West Indies and show the world that we are not behind the other teams and show everybody that Afghanistan is one of the best cricket teams in the world.”

Most of the Afghan players took to the game in refugee camps in cricket-mad Pakistan in the last three decades, before returning home.

Last year they achieved one-day status by finishing among the top six teams in the 50-over World Cup qualifying rounds held in South Africa.