Whare's Your Taliban?

By Panther Like
March 13 2015

This is the battle of the World Cup minnows. Pantherlike describes a memorable occasion at SCG more for the romantic thought of seeing Afghanistan playing close to the "highest" level. There is a lot of detail on the atmosphere created, a search for autographs and we can also read something about the cricket.

I'd purchased the tickets to come and see England play Afghanistan after I'd come down crook and missed the Australia v England fixture at the SCG in January. Didn't want to miss out on seeing Hi-Fi and Moggy donning the 3 Lions caps again. In doing so, I had that sneaking feeling that the match would be awfully lopsided as England would be no doubt preparing themselves for the finals....no matter, no one would be there and it was a day at the cricket!  Well, an overcast and at times wet day greeted us here in sunny Sydney, more akin to high summer in Manchester.  

I thought, as England won the toss and sent the Afghanis in to bat in an obvious ploy to knock 'em over, get the runs and rack off home. It had been a miserable World Cup for England after what had been a promising tri-series. Indeed the fortunes of India and England couldn't be more divergent since that mini-series in January. Arriving in time for the anthems I was struck by the beauty and sense of drama contained in the Afghan anthem and the pleasingly short yet poignant rendition of God Save The Queen. With the formalities done, England took to the field. I quickly noticed that HiFi was in hi-viz meaning that I wasn't going to see him bowl, a pity.

Hi-Viz the Waiter!                                                                                    God Save Our Team

But allow me stop here in what is becoming a rather hum drum missive about a game between one of the major forces in the ICC and an associate taking its first steps in the big world of serious cricket in a game that held little to no significance. Indeed, Anderson looked disinterested, nay dismayed, that things had not worked out; despite bowling at a decent clip and moving the ball about. Too much for the Afghan openers to handle. Yet the game was very significant. Please forgive the hyperbole, but today was one of cricket's finest triumphs. Afghanistan were playing cricket against England. At the SCG. The Afghan fans greeted every run with the enthusiasm that displayed their delight that their otherwise war torn country had a team competing in a sport at its highest level. Well okay, it wasn't a test match, but hopefully you get my drift. Sitting there watching flags being waved I thought that it wasn't that this was a sight I thought I'd never see, because I'd have need to possess the kind of imagination that could have conceived the notion that I'd ever get to see Afghan flags being waved at a cricket match in Australia. I've long had the romantic notion of a Germany or USA taking up cricket to a serious level, but Afghanistan? I thought of those fans and what some had likely had to go through to leave their country and restart life down under. And now here they were with the delirium and delight of being able to cheer their national team in a cricket match against the country who founded the game. Yes, they'd played the Aussies, Kiwis and the Windies, but England is always the big one. I recalled an article I had read years ago in Time magazine which had reported that cricket was one of the few games the Taliban allowed due to its 'modest attire'. Funny how things can turn out. Yes, today had nothing to do with results. It had everything to do with how this game can bring peoples and cultures together; bonded by their love of cricket.

Good to see

Whilst musing with my mate Dev on the bigger picture, the Afghani's were making hard work of it. Anderson and Broad followed by Jordan and Bopara had them pinned at 4-39. Then the rain came. We decided to take shelter in the empty row of seats in front of the Afghanistan team whilst the rain tried its best to stop. I struck up a conversation with their team manager, a very pleasant chap who told me where the members of the squad play their cricket. As it turns out he mentioned the MCC first, I recall there was one Afghan who played at Lord's a few years back.... otherwise it was either the BPL in Bangladesh or club cricket in Dubai. Fair enough. With the rain soon stopped, the covers came off and we got some more cricket. There'd clearly been some talk of run rate lifting indoors, and the batsmen came out showing more run scoring intent, however as is often the case with minnows this also led to a wickets falling. Moggy took a good catch at point diving forward, Bopara took a fantastic outfield catch off Tredwell etc. then the rain came again. The heavier rain effectively put an end to proceedings, England's campaign somewhat symbolically being washed away in front of our eyes. But I have to hand it to them. The English players may have been dispirited and disappointed, but were more than willing to sign autographs and mingle with the crowd. Moin Ali was leaning over the rail of the pavilion to reach the kids, much to the chagrin of the security (typical!), Finny was brilliant: after getting a drink for Anderson, he hopped over the pavilion fence for photos, autographs and meet and greets with all and sundry. Even Moggy stepped out to sign autographs. Yours truly managed to get his new 2015 MCCC abroad members card signed by all three; well Moin was meant to just pass it to Finny, but signed it first!

A Root that needs developing

Further play didn't look possible for some 90 minutes, repeated umpire inspections would only bring more rain, however things did improve and play was able to restart just before 9pm. Messrs Duckworth and Lewis decreed that England would need 101 to get off 25. Not a difficult assignment and Hales and Bell had 40 on the board in the 7th over. They moved things on to 83 in the 14th before Hales became the subject of more Afghani flag waving when he feathered one through to the keeper off Hassan. Young James Taylor came in at 3 and he and Bell finished off the remaining 20 or so runs securing the win. For what it was worth, Bell got 50. At least we got to see the fantastic sight of the mulleted Shapoor doing his fine Shoaib Akhtar impersonation, pushing off the fence to deliver his mid-130kms thunderbolts. And he's the complete fast bowler: the glare and spray he gave Bell after being flicked over slip for 4 was priceless! Could easily build a cult following. The Afghan skipper Nabi showed that he's a useful spinner as well as a good middle order bat; he and Shenwari were the stand out players in the Cup for the new kids on the block. The future will continue to be bright for Afghanistan, provided they get regular exposure to international cricket. Perhaps a few might find themselves in England in the near future?

So where did it all go wrong for England? Allow me to indulge myself and I completely understand if you stop reading here! If you made it this far: thanks!! I've watched a fair bit of this a World Cup and I've been very aware that the game is changing in front of my eyes. The 360deg scoring arcs of several key batsmen, the fitness of the players (Sangakkara is 37 years old and made 4 hundreds in a row, Maxwell and AB just don't seem to tire and get out like batsmen used to), teams have bowlers who are quick (Starc and Milne come to mind) or have tight spinners and medium pacers with variation. Apart from fitness and solid reputations and a balanced side, England is none of above. The batting can be stodgy and predictable, Buttler was lively at times but too often would come in too late, Ali didn't fire, Morgan looked weighed down by captaincy. Mind you he was striking the ball well and getting out. Bell is class but just couldn't find the higher standards set by other similar veteran batsmen in the comp. Not sure if Tredwell is the best spin option? And as much as it pains you all, you missed KP. Was it the coaching and management? Maybe. Saker has been there a while now, but the slip in English fortunes seems to have coincided with Moores's return and Ramps coming in as batting coach. Just not sure Ramps is the right coaching option right now. I've heard that the approach is too stats based. Perhaps. But there's a distinct lack of onfield acumen to be able to change the plan, do something different. I noticed this too in July during the Lord's test against India. England had the chance to put India in the vice have on the first day, and didn't. Whatever the reasons, Paul Downton et al will have to locate those core weaknesses soon and turn things around before the Ashes. The future starts now. Build around Taylor, Buttler, Hales, Morgan (whether captain or not) and Jordan. There, that's enough opining into a smart phone. Hard to get all of one's thoughts out on this little keyboard! The telly had an interesting comparison between Finn and Morkel's bowling actions. The angle Steve finds himself in is acute when compared to Morkel who stands up straighter. This has concerned me. He's the same height as Joel Garner yet makes little use of that height. No doubt Gus is on to it. Anyway they showed this on the scoreboard along with a sheepish looking Finny with all the sudden attention.