Taliban, Afghanistan flags wave together at 'Unity' cricket match
The two teams, Peace Defenders and Peace Heroes, included several players of the Afghan national squad, which is presently training for the Twenty20 World Cup, which begins on October 17 in the UAE and Oman.
FollowA nearly full house witnessed Afghanistan's best cricketers compete in a trial match Friday, with Taliban and Afghan flags flying side by side in what sports officials called a show of national unity. It was the first match held since the Taliban took control on August 15, leaving organisers of sporting and cultural events wondering what is now acceptable under the extreme Islamists' leadership. The two teams, Peace Defenders and Peace Heroes, included several players of the Afghan national squad, which is presently training for the Twenty20 World Cup, which begins on October 17 in the UAE and Oman.
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On Friday, supporters waved Afghan and Taliban flags side by side, and "Baba cricket," an old superfan dressed in national colours from head to toe, was led to a great place in the stands. Spectators were admitted free of charge, however, Taliban soldiers patted everyone down as they approached the stadium in Chaman Uzuri, a Pashtun-dominated Kabul neighbourhood.
The Taliban's return had generated widespread anxiety in Afghanistan and throughout the world, bringing back memories of their previous tenure in office, from 1996 to 2001, when they enforced a harsh form of Islamic rule. Most types of entertainment, including numerous sports, were prohibited under the government, and stadiums served as public execution sites. The Taliban did allow sports, but they were carefully restricted and only for men to play or watch.
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There were no women in the crowd of approximately 4,000 on Friday, but there was plenty of excitement as the sides played a Twenty20 match – the shortest version of the game – set to end in time for Friday prayers, the most significant of the week.
Cricket was almost unknown in Afghanistan until the early 2000s, and its spectacular rise is linked to conflict: the sport was taken up in Pakistan by Afghan refugees, who disseminated it back home. Since then, the national team has risen rapidly on the international stage, achieving coveted Test status in 2017 and currently ranked among the top ten teams in the world in the one-day and Twenty20 formats. In the last 20 years, it has developed as a strong symbol of national unity in a country torn apart by civil war and ethnic conflict.
