CHENNAI: As soon as captain Hashmatullah Shahidi smacked Pakistan pacer Shaheen Shah Afridi to deep backward square leg off the last delivery of the 49th over, he roared even as Afghanistan's dug-out burst into celebration. The win was Afghanistan's first in ODIs over their more famed rivals and the 1992 World Cup winners.
Away from the on-field celebration was a group of Afghan fans at the C Upper Stand in the MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai waving flags and capturing the historic moments by clicking pictures in between. A closer look into them and one can find their eyes have welled up. It's difficult being an Afghanistan supporter and it gets even harder if the team has not won an ODI World Cup match since their inaugural edition in 2015. They snapped the losing streak earlier when they beat the defending champions England but a victory over Pakistan was extremely special. Afghanistan chief selector Asadullah Khan's statement sums up the importance, "Biggest win for us."
With India hosting the tournament, Afghanistan fans were planning to turn out in large numbers but they met the same fate as their Pakistani counterparts. Only those, who possess passports other than Afghanistan, were able to make it to the country to cheer for their team. "Only students who have been studying in India are able to watch the team in action from stands. I hold a New Zealand passport so I got the visa. Fans holding Afghanistan passports have not been given visas," Rahim Sediqi, the Afghanistan super fan, told this daily.
Rahim has been travelling with the team since 2010 when Afghanistan Cheetahs as they were called then, were playing Pakistan domestic teams on their home grounds. Known to paint his body with various motifs, Rahim has ducked the trend this time due to personal reasons. "A lot of people are calling me from Afghanistan as it's only a two-hour journey to India. They would have come in thousands if visas were given to them. The supporters present here are either from the United Kingdom, Australia or European countries," he said.
Afghanistan fans cheer their side during the ICC ODI World Cup fixture against Pakistan at Chepauk. (Photo | P Ravikumar, EPS)Rahim followed his family, who shifted to New Zealand in 1996, 11 years ago. Originally hailing from Jalalabad, he had supported his team in the 2015 World Cup and other following events. Like him, Abdul Subor also shifted to Vienna in Austria six years ago. "If you call the Embassy asking for visas, the first thing they ask is the passport we are holding. If it's an Afghanistan passport, then it is difficult to get an Indian visa. Luckily, I hold an Austrian passport and so I am here to support the team," Subor said.
The duo is ecstatic with Afghanistan's performance in recent years but wants their team to play at home so that the fans back in their country can watch them in action. "Cricket brings happiness for Afghanistan fans. We now have the infrastructure to host events. Most of our players are playing in all the T20 leagues including the Indian Premier League across the globe. Without facilities and foreign coaches, which most of the teams have, till only a few years ago, we have achieved success. Imagine, if we had facilities and good coaches, we could have played better cricket and defeated many good teams," opined Rahim.
Most of these fans pay out of their pockets and managing this for a long time seems difficult for them no matter how passionate are they. "I have been managing these expenses despite strong opposition from my family. Moving from one country to another is not easy as you have to spend a lot on logistics but I love to support these guys and will do this till I can manage it," Rahim mentioned.
That is why the lap of honor around the Chepauk by the entire Afghanistan team felt even more special. Acknowledging their die-hard fans, celebrating the 'Biggest win' ever with those who have been on that journey with the team, since before they lit up the WC in India.
