Afghanistan have done their people proud in trying circumstances

NICK HOWSON: Defeat to New Zealand ends hopes of reaching the semi-finals of a global ICC event for another tournament. But wins, losses, wickets and runs are inconsequential

Afghanistan will not be part of the men's T20 World Cup semi-finals. Needing victory over New Zealand by a decent margin and favours from Namibia against India, it was always likely to be an uphill task. After their eighth appearance at a World Cup they are still yet to progress to the knock-out phase.

Their weak batting suit has let them down. Captain Mohammad Nabi and Naijibullah Zadran are the only players to reach three figures in five tournament matches. Top-two Hazratullah Zazai and Mohammad Shahzad have underwhelmed.

Naturally, the bowling department have turned up in favourable conditions. Mujeeb ur Rahman has been terrific amidst injury, Rashid Khan destructive and now part of the T20 400 club, Naveen-ul-Haq clever and canny and Gulbadin Naib not just a pair of biceps. Teams found a way to fend them off but most of that attack will be around for many, many years to come and that is an exciting thought.

Two wins, against Scotland by 130 runs and over Namibia by 62, from five looks like a paltry return. On another day Asif Ali doesn't hit four sixes from the 19th over and they beat Pakistan. They'll be unhappy with how India and the Black Caps kept them at arm's length.

But these details are rather incidental, for this is not a tournament performance to pick apart forensically. Afghanistan have come too far, as we are often reminded by the commentary team on-site in the United Arab Emirates, to be patronised but this campaign is not about runs, wickets, wins and loses, but pride, heart and meaning.

That Afghanistan have been turning out against the backdrop of the return to Taliban rule at home is impossible to ignore. The second regime has sent shockwaves across the world, not least due to the mortifying attempts of nationals to leave their homeland, and while it occupies a small corner of the conversation, cricket could not but be touched by the development.

^{Mohammad Nabi has led the team with class}

When Geoff Allardice, the International Cricket Council's acting chief executive officer, said Afghanistan's preparations for the World Cup were proceeding as "normal" it was a bad choice of words amid the fallout from the reemergence of the Taliban.

This has been no normal tournament. Afghanistan's men have played with a cloud hanging over their involvement and their future international aspirations not least the well-being of friends and family at home. It is a credit to their professionalism that they have completed the campaign at all. They've done themselves and their loved ones proud.

The tears shed by Nabi, the nation's most experienced player, during the national anthem prior to their opening Super 12s match against Scotland was a titanic moment. If you think elite sport is high pressure, imagine adding in the knowledge you're the only thing your people can take satisfaction from.

"The fans are really waiting because the only happiness in Afghanistan is cricket," Nabi said ahead of the tournament. "If we do well in the tournament and win games, the fans will be really happy and there will be a lot of smiles on faces."

Enlisted as a consultant for the tournament having worked with a number of internationals across the franchise game, Andy Flower drew the significance of the team into sharp focus. "It seems prudent to me to recognise that the men’s team is much beloved by their people and is carrying the hopes and dreams of a nation with them," he told The Guardian.

Understandably, the reception was rather cold. As Taliban officials celebrated the win over Scotland, fans who would normally take to the streets of Kabul and other cities to mark major victories stayed away. 

^{Afghanistan have tried to give their following something to shout about}

You can appreciate why when the line between the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the Taliban is so thin. Chief executive Hamid Shinwari was sacked and replaced by Naseeb Khan, while Azizullah Fazli is the new acting chairman, both installed by the fundamentalist group.

While not all of Afghanistan's players will feel they have done themselves justice during the campaign, it remains to be seen when they'll next be able to represent their country. Australia have already postponed the one-off Test in Hobart.

The ICC are due to meet after the World Cup to discuss cricket in the country under Taliban rule. The central issue will surround whether women's cricket, a programme that must be accommodated to activate full membership, which has previously been banned by the Taliban. Statement and counter-statement have confused the topic but the governing body must ultimately make a decision over their future. The original decision to grant full status in June 2017 should come under the microscope.

There is an ongoing debate over the relationship between politics and sport, whether the two can co-exist in the same space and if one should be used as a vehicle for another. The flip side is sometimes they unavoidably come together. Afghanistan have had a taste of that complex association.

"Sport has the power to change the world," said Nelson Mandela. "It has the power to inspire. It has the power to unite people in a way that little else does. Sport can create hope where once there was only despair. It is more powerful than government in breaking down racial barriers."

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