Cricket played a huge role stabilising Afghanistan: Shafiq Stanikzai

Afghanistan, currently, is being considered as one of the strongest associated nation teams in the cricketing arena. With a sorted team which is on an uphill journey, Afghanistan is in the betterment mode to change the way cricket has been in the country. While the standard of the game has improved, cricket has also done some miracles to the country that has been facing political unrest for over a decade now. Recently, Shafiq Stanikzai, chief executive of Afghan Cricket Board (ACB) mentioned that it is this game that has changed the mindset of the people of Afghanistan, uniting them more than anytime before. READ: Do Afghanistan deserve Test cricket status more than Zimbabwe?

In an interview with bbc.com, Stanikzai said, “The way cricket has played a role in the prosperity and stability of the country, I don’t think any other sport in any other part of the world has played such a role and this is a magical journey. Cricket is loved by every single person, we are using it to bring people closer, to bring tribes closer.”

Add Cricket Country as a Preferred Source

Stanikzai was appointed in the post by President Ashraf Ghani himself and thus has quite closely observed the changing situations.

“Back home we are loveable people, we are respectable people, we are hospitable people. We love living in Afghanistan and it is such a nice and beautiful place. Every single Afghan is hoping that it will be a better place and a very much different place in two to three years.”

“By 2019, 2020 I am very much hopeful and inshallah [God willing] we will be having games inside Afghanistan. We have the grounds, we have the people supporting us, but yes, we have to prove to the world that it is a safe place to play cricket,” Stanikzai added.