Is genuine fast bowling a fading art?

By Muhammad Asif Khan

Ever since I started following the game of Cricket the aspect fascinates me the most is the sight of a genuinely quick paceman running down from his bowling mark to rattle a batsman. I still remember the day when I entered a Cricket stadium for the very first time – early 2000 - only to witness the run-up of the legendry Waqar Younis. Although I observed the craftsmanship of Wasim Akram as well but, the swift yet smooth approach of the other ‘W’ mesmerised me the most.

I used to hook to the Television screen to see Waqar Younis running rather sprinting down to the bowling crease with a purpose to scare the hell out of a batsman, not only me but Waqar was in fact the source of inspiration for the World’s fasted-man, Usain Bolt also as the Jamaican athlete had himself revealed that he was enthralled by the lighting sprint to the wicket by the former speed-star of Pakistan.

Off course Waqar Younis is not the only one who struck the fear of God into many batsmen but the time before and after him is also studded with terrifying fast bowlers, but recently this high quality supply seems to have decelerated.

After Shoaib Akhtar, Australia’s Brett Lee has also hung his boots which left South Africa’s Dale Steyn as the sole fear factor on the Cricket field to terrify even an all-guarded opponent standing on the other side of the pitch. I am sure that the majority of the Cricket lovers weren’t happy with this state as they are also familiar with the impact of these ‘terrorists’ who treat cricket ball as a missile. Obviously the question would arise that what was the reason of this drought like situation and why not many people are getting inspired by the heroes of yesteryears?

Young bowlers with a speed of around 145 kph are coming to the fore pretty regularly but a rare breed is being missed. Even a 145 kph bowler fades away in a year or two. To understand the cause one has to be aware of the ingredients which transform a good bowler into a fearsome one. Apart from the athleticism, the physical hard work is a must to throw bomb shells at the batsman every time and here comes the need of top-class fitness and the regime to maintain the body to bear the exceptional amount of workload.

Indeed the newer lot of players is shying away from this beautiful yet demanding aspect but the authorities managing the game have also been contributing to this disheartening phenomenon. The rapid spread of the shortest version – Twenty20 – has made the pacemen most vulnerable because in this format a captain prefers an all-rounder than a specialist, also a faster, or any bowler for that matter, focus more on saving runs. Remember what Imran Khan used to tell Wasim Akram during the 1992 World Cup? “Bowl as fast as you can, don’t worry about the runs, I want a wicket from you” and now after 20 years, when we are breathing in a T20 era, I am sure no captain could exhibit the courage to push his fast-bowler like this.

The fright of going for runs is one of the main reasons why a fast bowler hardly experiments with his length during his spell. This is the very fact why bouncers and yorkers – the main weaponry of faster bowlers – are becoming a rare sight now.

Some people also blame the rules and the dead surfaces around the world as one of the major causes of killing a potential Express bowler, but I would say that rules for the bowlers were more or less same. Also like yesteryears the wickets – especially in the subcontinent – are in favour of the batsman or a spinner, yet Pakistan has been able to produced quality faster-men one after the other.

The amount of Cricket happening around is taking it’s toll on the players as well, this scenario forced a batsman even to be on his toes however this work-load has put a fear of injuries in Cricketers’ minds hence they are not opting for an extra yard during bowling especially. Avoiding runs and injuries is preferred on the pace to intimidate the opponents.

The T20 version also attracts a league of spectators who are more interested in witnessing towering hits and a flurry of strokes or in other words guys like Gayle and Afridi are more in demand but what about the thrill and the row created amongst the spectators by a fearsome fast bowler? This feature is neglected rather discouraged.

Coming towards the end, I feel, seeking short cuts is the main cause of concern. Currently playing Test cricket is not as enticing a factor than representing a T20 league I am afraid. Due to these lucrative leagues players, in the past, have not even bothered to skip Test Cricket over the shorter versions. Sad, isn’t? To preserve the art of Cricket in general the mushroom growth of T20 leagues should be checked otherwise we would not be able to witness the likes of Thomson, Marshall, Imran, Lillee, Donald, Akhtar and Lee again.

Good intentions, bad results

By Muhammad Asif Khan

Whenever a decision is made its impact in the coming days is, or should be, the foremost concern of the decision-maker. The more sensitive one’s position is the greater amount of responsibility gets attached to a decision.

In Pakistan, the position of the Cricket Board chairman is among the most watched slots, so a single wrong step made by the person occupying the seat attracts a great deal of criticism.

The era of Ijaz Butt was by far the most talked about, but has the situation changed since the new Chairman — Chaudhry Zaka Ashraf — took the reigns of the Pakistan Cricket Pakistan (PCB)? Quite honestly, it has been a mixed bag in terms of the decisions taken by him.

An overview of the last one year — since Zaka Ashraf assumed the office — gives an impression of his being a man desperate to make his mark. Nevertheless, he has also pressed a few wrong buttons in the process.

The latest wrong button was in connection with the Domestic T20 tournament, which was finally shifted to Lahore from Karachi.

Contrasting statements from the media department showed the lack of coordination which was later proved when the President of the Karachi City Cricket Association (KCCA) Sirajul Islam Bukhari burst the bubble and presented an official letter from the PCB with instructions to constitute various committees for smooth operations during the event in Karachi.

The board spokesman later pointed to the unrest in Karachi as the reason for the venue-shift and this is the point where many eye brows were raised.

What kind of message these statements would transmit to the world — already shying away from Pakistan — and how would they react in the future?

Earlier this year when the Bangladesh Cricket Board agreed to send its team to Pakistan, a petition was filed against the move in the Dhaka High Court in which an article from the local press — regarding the law and order — was also included to strengthen the case.

This time around, a statement from a person within the PCB could serve the same purpose.

The Chairman started off really well by taking everyone aboard and meeting with former PCB heads as well as a number of ex-cricketers. He also wrote letters to the cricket fraternity to seek support. During other relevant meetings as well, he tried to send his point across pretty efficiently, but a few wrong calls on important junctures have somewhat spoiled the party for him.

When Zaka took over, he showed a lot of interest in employing foreign coaches for the national team despite the fact that the then coach Mohsin Khan was doing reasonably well.

Since then the Chairman has been advocating the need for qualified individuals. But the appointment of Mohammad Akram as the bowling coach is opposite of that very claim.

Also, if a certain level of qualification is a must for a team’s coach then why no certification is sought for the all important post of the Director Academies?

The efforts of Zaka to bring back international cricket to Pakistan are honest and highly commendable. When the Bangladesh Cricket Board hinted at sending its team to Pakistan, the barrage of statements from the chairman pushed the hopes high. Even in January ñ when the tour of Bangladesh was still conditional in many ways — the chairman said that their tour to Pakistan in April would give a breakthrough.

He also said that the government was onboard, but the tour was called off and later the local government in Punjab crushed the security wall around the PCB headquarters, which showed to the world the lack of coordination and trust between the PCB and the Punjab administration.

It is believed that the boards of Bangladesh and Pakistan are again engaged in talks for a bilateral series in Pakistan, so it would be better if the PCB chairman sorted the matter out with the local administration before giving any statement.

The PCB recently invited former England coach Peter Moores in a consulting role. He has been assigned to review Pakistan’s domestic structure. If Moores is the perfect man, then why a task team was constituted by the PCB in last December?

The task team — consisting of former players — did present their recommendations, but what happened later is still unknown?

If the board wants to improve the standard of the domestic cricket, won’t it be better to consult with the people who are actively attached to this system?

Representatives of the departments taking part in the domestic circuit would be in a better position to apprise the chairman about the shortcomings in the existing domestic system.

Here again the intentions of the PCB Chairman are not doubted but his execution is putting a lot of doubts in mind.

Another matter which is limited to announcement only is a call from the PCB chairman to honour off-spinner Saeed Ajmal. When the ICC snubbed Ajmal the PCB swiftly reacted, but till date the ‘Best bowler’ award has not been conferred on him.

The board tasked Javed Miandad with finding the reasons for the worst ever performance by the U19 team in the World Cup in Australia — where Pakistan finished 8th. But nothing has come out yet.

Separately, the PCB initiated an inquiry into the conduct of two local umpires, who were accused by an Indian TV of agreeing to fixing. But nothing has come to the fore on this issue either.

Most recently the board provided another opportunity to the world to laugh at us by mishandling the Big Bash NOCs for its players.

Initially the players were allowed to take part in the league, but then they were denied and finally a conditional permission was given. The reported reason for the denial and then the conditional approval was that the PCB wanted the players to give importance to the domestic competition, but wouldn’t this unnecessary episode hamper Pakistan Cricket Board’s relations with the Australians counterparts?

In the first place it was not players’ fault at all because they weren’t aware of the board’s plans to hold the National T20 earlier than usual.

The chairman is very keen on the commencement of Pakistan’s own brand of premier league, but statements in this regard as well are not helping the cause at all.

The chairman has given many dates for the venture. The purpose of the league is no doubt a bid to transmit pleasant signals around the world, but when Sindh Sports Minister Dr Muhammad Ali Shah managed to rope in a few former international players the cold attitude of the board chairman was not in good taste.

The sensitivity and attention attached to the post of the PCB chairman demands a lot of control. A general impression is that the chairman talks on almost every aspect. In fact he talks a lot — the habit which led to the downfall of his predecessor.

The Twenty20 impact

By Muhammad Asif Khan

More than a century ago when the game of cricket came into being it was just Test Cricket on display. The number of overs had no limit, yet the quality of the game was quite high.

After decades a faster version was introduced with a limited number of overs to achieve the target. In this scenario the players were forced to invent new ways to score. Here again the quality of the game was not compromised very much.

However, not so far ago, the fastest version of the game was launched — the Twenty20 Cricket. This is the point from where everything seemed to have taken a fresh turn.

In this format the number of overs is even less than the previous limited-overs one, so the batsmen remain on their toes all the time.

During the early days of the ODI cricket, the emergence of the World Series Cricket — organised by Kerry Packer — came as a jolt as it was seen as a factor which divided players’ loyalty. The storm triggered by the lucrative venture was somewhat controlled but it surely left its footprint. That was, to me, the beginning of the extravagance in cricket that has peaked today.

People at the helm back in the late ‘70s put a lid on the World Series, but they could not do anything about its recurrence in the form of the Indian Premier League (IPL), which began in the last decade.

Lalit Modi took the baton from Kerry Packer and with extraordinary amount of money the league was more than mouth watering for players around the globe.

Even the cricket administrators did not put their foot down this time around and gave their consent to what turned out to be a trend-setting venture.

This was indeed the beginning of a new era which changed the complexion of the game and its perception. But it was precisely here that the authorities should have played their due role.

Now everybody is in it and it is very much like over-cooked food which leaves bad taste in one’s mouth. Even a good thing can earn you bad result if it is overdone and same is the case with the mushroom growth of the T20 leagues.

After India, now almost every Test playing country has an indigenous T20 league where the players are given handsome amounts of money to basically entertain the audience. This trend is actually denting the game in many ways and here the International Cricket Council (ICC) should concentrate on quality rather than the quantity.

With the T20 expansion —mainly through these leagues — the game of cricket is seen as a three-hour entertaining show only.

Nobody remembers a copybook stuff but a towering hit. It is also taking its toll on good players around the world because when an organiser pumps in huge money then he would surely bank on top-class players to get good returns on his investments.

On the other hand, the players are fatigued because of non-stop traveling and playing. Several of them now have to make a choice between such leagues and the national duty.

There have been examples when players chose a league over a national assignment, and it will continue I am afraid.

This is not the only problem associated with this phenomenon. Apart from cricketers and their issues, this has also been tarnishing the image of the game in general. Ever since the IPL numerous corruption cases have come to the fore.

It has actually put an extra burden on the shoulders of the people responsible for the transparency matters.

Also, it has been a reason why a vast majority of people has distanced itself from the true version of cricket — the Tests. The ICC also has an idea of it and that is why they have introduced some colourful innovations to the longest format, but still a lot should be done.

In modern time people very easily associate cricket with fixing, and the reason is that the number of leagues made a bookie’s job a little easier and the non-payment episodes, such as Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), turn out to be a blessing in disguise for the match-fixers.

Indeed capping a wrongdoing is very difficult but with the amount of cricket being played in the form of such extravagant leagues, curbing this menace has become next to impossible.

Everyone is trying to outsmart the other and in the process the game of cricket is suffering. The ICC has to take immediate steps to limit this practice.

They should put in place strict mechanism both for the players as well as for the organisers. Players should not be encouraged if they overlook their national side and the host cricket boards should also be penalised if a wrongdoing is unearthed in a league.

How to train best for national duty

By Muhammad Asif Khan

The game of cricket has taken a lot of turns for betterment since its birth because the administrators have kept on pushing for innovations.

Among the modern introductions, coaching staff for a team is also considered as a must. Almost all the teams now have a set of professional coaches and trainers.

Unlike yesteryears, this department is taken care of very seriously and relevant qualification ñ coaching courses, etc. ñ is seen as mandatory for the individuals chosen for the different jobs.

The question is: if the world is doing this, why shouldn’t the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB)?

But first we must understand the idea behind having separate coaches. Other teams are doing fine with this methodology but why heavy duty coaches have not been able to deliver in Pakistan?

From Richard Pybus, Bob Woolmer, Geoff Lawson to Dev Whatmore and Julian Fountain the end result has not been satisfactory. Why, what is the reason for it?

If a player, even after reaching the top level, does not know the basics of the game then there are two possible issues to confront with. Either the domestic structure is not producing quality players or the selection process is not transparent. Or there might be a third possible reason: probably we are not putting the right persons at the right places.

And this third possibility is exactly the point I would like to make here.

Can a coach alter the technique of a 100-match veteran overnight? It seems next to impossible, so the purpose of having an expensive coach is not well served.

There can be no comparison between Pakistan and other top cricket playing countries because all those have competitive domestic structures, in which the issues related to fitness and techniques are taken care of adequately. Players there are mature enough before entering the international arena.

The Pakistani authorities directly expose a good domestic performer to the international pressure which, at times, has an adverse effect on the otherwise talented youngster.

In my opinion, the short-term solution to this issue is the revival of the junior level outfits such as the A and B teams, which should be provided with foreign trips so that they have international exposure of a sort.

In the long run, there should be a system put in place to fix problems beforehand by putting a talented bunch at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) prior to their inclusion in the national side.

At this penultimate stage qualified coaches should be available to these players.

This penultimate phase should have a bunch of outstanding domestic performers or under-19 players who should be put to rigorous training and groomed on technical lines.

The coaches at this level should be assigned a duty to grade the players on the basis of their ability, and performance during the training.

This way, the boys will get motivated to do well, and the end result will definitely be in Pakistan’s favour.

I am personally not in favour of appointing a heavy duty coach with the national team only, because at that stage one could not do much with players’ techniques. But, yes, a man who can guide the captain and player in formulating a strategy should accompany the boys.

A strategist, planner or an analyst should be there for the tune-up along with a competent trainer who could help the players in maintaining top class fitness which is the foremost requirement of the modern era.

With these arrangements, the selectors for the national team would have a trained individual who can replace any injured or out-of-form player in the top team. Moreover, the rotation policy will also be effective with this liberty of having a large group of trained players. We will have more than eleven players ready to represent the team at the top level.

We have a lot of talent in the country, but the transition phase is where the problem lies. Therefore if the best of coaches are placed at the above mentioned penultimate phase, it will help rectify the players’ imperfections before they put their steps into the international arena.

Need for better detectives

By Muhammad Asif Khan

Money and corruption go hand in hand and cricket is a game in which a lot of money is involved. So corruption cannot be ruled out. Every now and then the resurfacing of corruption scandals is indicative of the fact that the game had continuously been under the shadow of this menace even when there were no reports of fixing.

The International Cricket Council (ICC) formed the Anti-Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) back in 2000 with an idea to put a lid on the malpractice, but fixing has continued ever since. It means that there is some thing wrong in the methodology which is being practiced by the ICC and it needs to be altered.

ACSU is manned by ex-police officials who must have been brilliant in their respective fields, but cricket is a different ball game altogether.

The ACSU’s officers can keep watch on players’ off-the-field movements, but detecting a dubious act by an individual on the field is next to impossible. If a batsman deliberately scores slowly then a detective cannot figure that out, but probably an ex-cricketer would smell a rat in the process. One proof of the ineffectiveness of the ACSU is the fact that the body has not so far unearthed a wrongdoing on its own.

They take action only after something wrong has been exposed by newspapers or television channels. Just recall the infamous over-step by Mohammad Amir in 2010. It remained undetected until the sting operation. Let me quote a few more examples here. In the World Cup 2011 match between Australia and Zimbabwe on February 21, 2011, Australia managed to score just 28 runs in the first 10 overs, and later went on to post a winning total of 262.

I am not saying that something must have been wrong in that match, but the question remains: can it be noticed by a detective who is not related to the field of cricket?

Another example is the World Cup match between India and Australia on February 15, 2003. India were at 26/1 in the first 6 overs and after 15 overs their score was 45/4. Wasn’t it strange? It could be pre-designed but again nothing could be said with absolute certainty. The above two examples are amongst many which might have been noticed by cricket experts.

So what should the ICC do? They have distributed literature amongst players, empowered member boards to establish their own anti-corruption units, etc. But still there is room for improvement.

Countless endeavours by the ICC are there but what they have not done so far is to encourage those who want to speak against this wide-spread menace.

Who doesn’t know former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif and his efforts against match-fixing but did the ICC take him seriously? He wrote a letter to the apex body in 2003, but was not taken aboard in putting in place a better mechanism.

There are other examples too. Former fast bowler Sarfaraz Nawaz also claimed to have briefed the ACSU officials in the past but to no avail.

Therefore, for the sake of this game and its integrity, the governing body needs to come up with an out-of-the-box solution. By only admitting the reality, the ICC is actually showing its helplessness. They are in charge of the game, so they are the ones who need to take charge. Otherwise the recurrence of unpleasant events would continue.

Umpires in fixing: It was sensational and that was it

By Muhammad Asif Khan

A few weeks back I received a text message which said “The best day to propose to a girl is April 1st. U Know Why?? Because If she accepts then it’s your luck, otherwise just shout “April Fool”. Harmful jokes apart, but generally the culprits, in such acts on the day (April 1), are not taken to task and the reason is the non-serious or fake nature of the environment. So it finally comes down to the intentions and the motive of the action.

Ok, moving out from April to reach the period between July and August this year when a TV channel from India started fooling a few people in the name of serve a genuine purpose. They exposed a few faces – in a thrilling footage - who were ready rather greedy to crush the dignity of the game of Cricket under their feet. That was indeed a good job and should be appreciated.

But, was the India TV action only falls into the category of sensationalism or actually a great service to the game and its followers? I myself am not utterly clear on this as yet. I may be naïve, therefore don’t have answers to the following silly questions. So please help me out. Let me make it clear that I am not at all trying to favour any umpire featured in the footage shown by the TV but the intention of the TV station had left enough room for suspicion, for me at least.

The environment created by the India TV, during the sting operation, was real or surreal, serious or non-serious? Since, the questions and the ‘surreal’ environment were hypothetical, then why those - on the on the other side of the Skype - were caught on their words not actions?

In the last sting operation of such nature in 2010, carried out by the News of the World in London, the players (Mohammad Amir, Salman Butt and Mohammad Asif) were not only caught pledging but later they also lived up to their promises, hence rightly penalised by the court of law and the apex body of the game of Cricket – The International Cricket Council - but in this case can a person be penalised on his intentions only?

If all the exposed officials are all set to be taken to task then the reporter should also be at least questioned because he was the one who lured in somebody to a crime. I know the under-cover reporter’s part was hypothetical but then the entire episode was surreal including an umpire on the other side of the Skype. One can’t be punished for his intentions until he transforms them it into actions?

What was India TV up to? Off course they were on a mission to cleanse the game of Cricket, ok then why did they only choose the officials at a lower tier?

Six Umpires were shown on the camera, and I am sure numerous other officials – probably includes some from the highest level which is called the elite ICC panel - were approached during the ‘cleansing service’. Question is that did they come across anyone who blatantly refused their offer or threw a few probing questioned at them? Would not it be heartening to share that tape too to prove to the world that in general this game is clean but yes there are few miscreants present in this field too.

I doubt that they (India TV) ever approached someone in the elite panel, because had they done so then two scenarios would have followed. Either, the ICC was intimated by those approached, and in this case, the ‘hidden service’ would have forcefully been wrapped up by the Anti Corruption and Security Unit (ACSU) OR the second more likely situation would be that due to the shrewdness of a top-level umpire the visionary bubble would get burst half way. The fear of getting exposed probably kept the stingers away from the elite panelists.

Before moving further, let’s check the list of Cricketers who have already banned, suspended or penalised for fixing to-date. The list - on Wikipedia - shows the name of 22 international and domestic players which includes nine Indians, six Pakistanis, three South Africans and one each from Kenya, Bangladesh, England and the West Indies.

The glaring reality mentioned in the list is that, apart from the majority of Indian cricketers, the most such incidents took place on the Indian soil too. Moreover, in the latest case of Danish Kaneria and Mervyn Westfield the bookie associated with Kaneria (Arun Bhatia) was supposed to be an Indian as well. Another interesting thing in Kaneria’s case was that he was named in the court as the man who approached Westfield with the idea of fixing or in other words he (Kaneria) was the one who actually influenced a young cricketer to commit the wrongdoing. So, if this is a crime worth a life ban to Kaneria then the ‘under-cover’ reporter of the India TV should also be charged because he lured in people to commit a crime and limited his effort to enticing only and did not wait till the pledges of the umpires would become a reality.

If they (India TV) were on a mission then they should have done something more productive, by digging into the fixing dens within their own country. Again, I am not pinpointing anything particular. This is a fact that fixing is a widespread problem and isn’t limited to India only. The point is that since the TV is from India therefore they should follow “Charity begins at home” principle. They should have probed further into the Indian Premier League – the way they did earlier -, they should have questioned Vinod Kamli, who questioned a 1996 World Cup match featuring India and so many other dubious activities.

Coming to the very end, I would reiterate that the intentions showed by the Umpires are absolutely wrong, and should be condemned but I am afraid they could not be charged on this account only. After all real-time penalties are there for real-times actions.

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Gavaskar’s lecture boosts Afghan Cricketers

By Muhammad Asif Khan

KARACHI: The Afghan Cricket Team have finally got some recognition at the big stage and the flare shown by the players, at the ongoing World Twenty20 Cup in Sri Lanka, has not only moved the spectators but one of the former greats as well. During the group match against India, the bowling of the World ODI champions (India) was badly exposed and even the minnow Afghans cashed in on it at will. While expressing the satisfaction over the team’s overall performance, the Coach Kabir Khan admitted that the pressure of a big event and strong opposition got to the boys. He (Kabir), however, is optimistic that things would start falling in place for them with the passage of time.

“We hardly play against quality oppositions therefore the crowd and camera increased the already existing pressure on to the players. Even our best fielders dropped catches, and later our batsmen succumbed to the anxiety as well. We are working on the weakness, but it will take time”, said Kabir Khan, while talking to this correspondent for News One TV.

Kabir Khan, who recently took over as Afghan Coach from former Pakistan Captain Rashid Latif, further said that after the match against India, former great Sunil Gavaskar also visited the training camp and praised the effort of the Afghan team.

“Sunil Gavaskar was kind enough to spend about 15 minutes with Afghan players and gave valuable tips to them about mental toughness. Along with other suggestions, Gavaskar emphasised over our fielding a lot. Boys are thrilled by the great gesture and hopeful of making it count on the field. The bottom line is that the more we play, the better we would get”, added Kabir Khan.

Former Test cricketer from Pakistan, Kabir Khan has been enjoying his second stint with the Afghan team as coach. He was replaced by Rashid Latif last year, however earlier this year Latif stepped down to make way for Kabir Khan again.

Kabir Khan, 38, was a left-arm seamer during his playing days, however couldn’t find a permanent slot for him in the Pakistan team. The Peshawar born Kabir represented Pakistan in 4 Tests and 10 ODIs between 1994 and 2000.

On the infrastructure in Afghanistan, the coach said that with two state-of-the-art facilities at home, the Afghan Cricket Authorities are now in a position to develop domestic structure which will benefit the national team in the future.

“Two stadiums with adequate capacity and facilities have been built in Kabul and Jalalabad. Now we mainly practice at home, however due to harsh weather in winter, important camps are still held in Dubai”, said Kabir Khan

Cricket is being played in Afghanistan since decades however the national team was formed in 2001. After a series of impressive performances in the past 3 years, the team secured qualification to the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 Cup which was their first major tournament.

“Domestic structure is being developed, and with the passage of time and the passion for the game in the youngsters, I am optimistic of bright future for the Afghan cricket”, concludes Kabir Khan.