KABUL: Afghanistan’s cricket team received a hero’s welcome when they returned to Kabul on Tuesday, fresh from winning the World Cup qualifying final and securing a spot in the 2019 tournament.
After touching down in the Afghan capital, the team was whisked away to a special ceremony where they were met with standing ovations from an invitation-only crowd.
Afghanistan had looked set to miss out on a second straight World Cup appearance after suffering a series of defeats in the group stage.
But they turned their performance around and Sunday’s final win over the West Indies in Zimbabwe gave them their fifth victory in a row as they qualified with help from results elsewhere.
Captain Asghar Stanikzai, holding the winner’s trophy, led his teammates up a red carpet through an honor guard of Afghan children in traditional dress, who threw red rose petals over the smiling players.
The team’s remarkable recovery showed “we are able to fight hard,” Stanikzai told AFP. His team will play their maiden Test match against India in Bangalore in June.
“Afghanistan has changed quite a lot compared to what it was in previous years. The other teams should understand that we are a strong and rising team and we will try our best to put on a good show (in 2019),” he added.
For security reasons ordinary Afghan cricket fans were not allowed to welcome the players on their return to Kabul, but supporters have flooded social media in recent days to pay tribute to the team.
Their victory was also met with celebratory gunfire, fireworks and honking of horns throughout the Afghan capital.
“Congratulations team Afghanistan for this remarkable victory,” Motiullah Mutmaen wrote on Twitter.
“You have a fighting spirit which makes you a dangerous team who can beat any team on any given day.”
Aymal Khan Jalal posted on Facebook: “You have finally managed to put a smile on our faces!“
Leg-spin sensation Rashid Khan, who became the fastest bowler ever to reach 100 one-day international wickets in the West Indies match, said making the World Cup was a “dream” come true.
“The team we have right now and the talent we have, it’s a world class team. We just need to believe in ourselves,” Khan told AFP.
Afghanistan gets hero’s welcome after qualifying for Cricket World Cup
Afghanistan gets hero’s welcome after qualifying for Cricket World Cup
Lola Yamaha ABT look for pace and points under the lights in Jeddah
- After missing points in Miami, team hope for better showing
- Working hard, say drivers Zane Maloney and Lucas di Grassi
JEDDAH: Lola Yamaha ABT are returning to race under the lights of the Jeddah Corniche Circuit, where they are hoping to add to their points tally for season 12 of the Formula E World Championship this Friday and Saturday.
Situated alongside the Red Sea, the 19-turn, 3-km track features a long start and finish straight, technical chicanes and sweeping turns. The Saudi Arabian doubleheader will once again be at night.
And also host the first pit-boost race of season 12 where very driver must complete a 30-second, 600-kilowatt boost in the pitlane, giving an extra 10 percent of energy.
Last time in Miami, the team showed good pace throughout the weekend where they narrowly missed out on points, with Zane Maloney finishing 11th and Lucas di Grassi 13th, but they are hopeful for Jeddah.
“After a generally positive race in Miami, where we were much more competitive, I’m looking forward to taking to the track again in Jeddah,” di Grassi said.
“Racing at night always presents different challenges, with changes in temperature and lighting.
“With not much time between these races, we’ve been putting in the hours in the sim (simulator) to ensure we are as prepared as possible to maximize on the improvements seen last time out.”
Maloney said: “Although we narrowly missed out on points in Miami, it was a positive weekend for the team with good pace that shows we are moving in the right direction.
“Jeddah is a fast, technical circuit, which will test the team in different ways, particularly with the addition of the first pit boost of the season. However, we’ve been working hard in the short race gap and I’m confident we can be in the mix to score points this weekend.”
“We saw positive steps forward with organization and processes behind the scenes in Miami and this showed with good race pace which we are hoping to translate to points here in Jeddah,” said Mark Preston, team principal of Lola Yamaha ABT.
