I first stepped foot on Afghan soil in 1988, and in the months that followed, I worked from a Mujahideen camp on the border with Pakistan running clinics for refugee women fleeing the Afghan-Soviet war. Then in 2001, with the country in the grip of the Taliban, I travelled to the Panjshir to work in a mother-child clinic. I witnessed first-hand the devastation of a country and its people. Now, just over thirty years after my first visit, there is a positive story to tell. I no longer work with those at the start of their life but instead for those nearing adulthood in a post war-on-terror Afghanistan, supporting education and helping to bring cricket into their lives. The country has finally shown glimpses of its massive potential, which 40 years of conflict has failed to stamp out. At the heart of this is cricket. We’ll tell you what’s true. You can form your own view. From 15p €0.18 $0.18 USD 0.27 a day, more exclusives, analysis and extras. Subscribe now My … [Read more...] about Opinion: How cricket is healing the wounds of war-torn Afghanistan
Cricket
Top Afghan cricket players criticise change of captain
Afghanistan has named a new captain to lead the cricket team into the forthcoming World Cup -- a move that has not gone down well with some of the players. The Afghanistan Cricket Board announced Gulbadin Naib would skipper the one-day side, Rashid Khan the Twenty20 team and Rahmat Shah the Test squad. Naib replaces Asghar Afghan, and board chairman Azizullah Fazli said the changes were a "long time investment and to compete in a better way". But less than two months before the start of the World Cup in England and Wales, the move was criticized on social media by some players. Former captain Mohammad Nabi tweeted the decision was "ill timed with World Cup just round the corner", saying the team had "gelled really well under Asghar". "Being a senior member of the side and having seen the rise of Afghanistan Cricket, I don’t think it is the right time to change the captain," said Nabi, who led Afghanistan in their first World Cup campaign four years ago. Rashid Khan, the new … [Read more...] about Top Afghan cricket players criticise change of captain
150 holes appeared in a cricket pitch in Tameside
A cricket club in Tameside has been targeted by vandals who dug up more than 150 holes on the pitch. The damage to the wickets at Ashton Ladysmith Cricket Club was discovered earlier this week. It's thought to have happened some time between 5pm on Tuesday and 2pm on Thursday. The ground on Rosehill Road in Ashton-under-Lyne is secure and to get inside someone would have had to scale a 6ft metal fence - with a spade. That's why club bosses believe the attack on the pitch was deliberate and premeditated. Club house manager David Gaskin discovered the damage. "It's definitely deliberate," he said. "Over 150 holes have been dug up with a spade. "It happened last year as well, it wasn't as bad and we thought at the time it may have been kids but not this, this is deliberate. "It's the same area that's been targeted as well so it seems like someone has a grievance against the club." Read more of today's top stories David said it took him three hours to put the dug-up grass back in the holes … [Read more...] about 150 holes appeared in a cricket pitch in Tameside
Join the big hitters at cricket camp
After its huge success last summer, the All Stars Cricket program is returning to Long Sutton.For children aged five- to eight-years-old, the fun-packed weekly sessions aim to give youngsters their first taste of the game with an introduction to the basic skills of batting, throwing, catching, bowling and teamwork.The eight-week course, being led by activators Andy Crisp and Georgina Synnott, starts at Long Sutton Cricket Club, Park Lane, on Wednesday, May 15, from 5pm to 6pm.Andy, who led the sessions last year, said this year’s programme promises to be just as much fun and he is keen to welcome new faces as well as returning youngsters.“Last year’s sessions were a great success – the idea of All Stars is all about introducing children to cricket at an early age,” said Andy.“The focus is all on fun, so the children don’t even realise that they’re learning all these basic skills.“We’ve got a thriving junior side here at Long … [Read more...] about Join the big hitters at cricket camp
Enjoy side-splitting banter with cricket legend David Lloyd at The Grand
Raconteur, broadcaster and cricket guru, David Lloyd returns to the crease in Clitheroe later this year for another side-splitting evening of banter and hilarity. The term "bumble" may suggest to most people the act of dithering around, but to cricket fans all over the world, it is inextricably linked to the Lancashire and England legend from Accrington with that unmistakable Lancashire burr. And his latest book, the wonderfully titled Around the World in 80 Pints, Bumble recalls his colourful career and hilarious tour of the cricketing planet as he searches for the perfect pint.And as you might expect, it is chock-full of brilliant anecdotes and down to earth Red Rose wisdom, chronicling his many adventures from Oswaldtwistle to the MCG.On seeing former Sri Lankan World Cup winning captain Arjuna Ranatunga in the stands at Kandy, Lloyd said: “Is that Ranatunga?“Strewth. He’s not missed many dinners, has he? Lloyd says cricket has evolved in ways unimaginable a few … [Read more...] about Enjoy side-splitting banter with cricket legend David Lloyd at The Grand