“Ireland and Afghanistan provide hope for smaller cricketing nations!”

Oct 06, 2013 Sports

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Colin E. H. Croft
News that Afghanistan has qualified for International Cricket Council’s premier event, 2015 50-overs World Cup, to be held in Australia and New Zealand, reminds us that cricketing miracles and great achievements are still very possible.  Afghanistan has outdone even its wildest aspirations, making history!
Interestingly, they follow the similarly massive exploits of Ireland to get to these vaunted heights!
Considering that Afghanistan is still in the midst of a war that started back in 1980 when USSR/ Russia invaded, only for them to be ousted, and replaced by another war, featuring some Afghani entities and United States of America, this is one of those sporting achievements that defy logic of civilian existence.

Ireland, on the other hand, which was not known for its cricket output in the past, even if their great achievement in the minds of old-timers must have been that they actually beat West Indies, in 1969, in a one-day game, at least have shown that consistency and production can pave the way for good progress.
While not great cricketing entities in their own right, and relative minions of the game, Afghanistan, with 30 million inhabitants, and Ireland, with about 7 million, the same population as the entire English speaking Caribbean, do lend credence that they could be greater still, providing upsets in that tournament.
Afghanistan has the advantage of being neighbors to another Asian cricketing power-house, Pakistan, while Ireland still has great associations with Great Britain, of which England, the proverbial home of cricket, is a part.  Obviously, the cricket has rubbed off on both entities quite well!
Ireland and Afghanistan have shown, despite small cricketing situations – soccer is the big Afghan favorite game, while hurling and soccer are much played in Ireland – that they could still achieve really big things.
I do think that it would be distressing and destructive if any present West Indies cricketing entity were to try to go solo, but many times in the past, individual countries involved in West Indies cricket have entertained thoughts, even airing them publicly in some cases, to go it alone, to play international cricket.
Late 1960’s, when Barbados was the backbone of West Indies teams, with such illustrious players as (Sir) Garfield Sobers, Seymour Nurse, (Rev.) Wes Hall, Conrad Hunte, Charlie Griffith, Peter Lashley, Richard “Prof” Edwards, Rawle Branker and David Holford in its team, Barbados seriously considered that move.
They even had “Test” games against Rest of the World selections and were beaten so badly that even with the greatness of its regional team, and then contributions to West Indies teams, the thought quickly died.
Guyana too had massive headaches about its own grandeur. Clive Lloyd, Basil Butcher, Joe Soloman, Rohan Kanhai, Lance Gibbs, Winston English, Geoff “Reds” Murray, Rex Collymore, Randolph Ramnanace, Ovid Glasgow and Lloyd Cornelius were a good enough combination for thought of seceding to emerge.
Late 1970’s, when Gordon Greenidge, Desmond Haynes, Joel Garner, Malcolm Marshall, Sylvester Clarke, Wayne Daniel, David Murray, Collis King and Emerson Trotman were in Barbados’ team, they did mention the thought, even if they did not do anything to encourage the phenomenon of leaving West Indies.
Trinidad & Tobago too, twice, in 1970’s, and more recently, in 2000’s, have had those same thoughts. With influential Michael “Joey” Carew leading, and with productive players like Richard de Sousa, Deryck Murray, Larry and Sheldon Gomes, Oscar Durity, Prince Bartholemew, Jack Noriega, Raphick Jumadeen and Richard Gabriel included, Trinidad & Tobago too, 1970’s, may have felt that they could beat the world!
More recently, that talk had again surfaced in Trinidad & Tobago, even if it does not come from the players themselves.  T&T’s patrons and supporters have openly shouted that their team should go it alone!
After all, today – Sunday – T&T could find themselves, after Saturday’s semi-final in Champions League against Mumbai Indians, in the final of 2013’s competition, completing yet another triumph that has seen them victorious in so many regional competitions, and internationals too, especially in the T-20’s format.
Sunil Narine, Denesh Ramdin, Kieron Pollard, Dwayne and Darren Bravo, Ravi Rampaul, Kevon Cooper, Samuel Badree, Lyndl Simmons, Adrian Barrath, Rayad Emrit, Shannon Gabriel and Sherwin Ganga have all made respective marks representing Trinidad & Tobago, other clubs, and in international cricket too.
It should be noted, for comparison sake, that, astoundingly, Guyana has only 750,000 or so inhabitants, while Trinidad & Tobago is listed at approximately 1.5 million, and Barbados officially has nearly 300,000.
Those are unbelievably small populations to have such imaginations of greatness, but the thoughts, at least in the cricket world, were not misplaced.  T&T have shown that size or smallness does not matter!
Ireland came to notice during 2007 ICC World Cup, which was held in the Caribbean.  Against more experienced Zimbabwe, they tied a very exciting game, going one further to beat Pakistan.  The enthusiastic Irish always gave good overall efforts, despite relatively little international experience.
Now, Afghanistan, like Bermuda, Canada and Netherlands in 2007 World Cup, and even Sri Lanka, way back in 1979 World Cup, have a chance to showcase what Associated Cricketing Countries can do.  Enjoy!
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