Excitement mounting as Afghanistan edge closer to the 2015 Cricket World Cup

The Afghanistan cricket team at last year’s World T20 in Sri Lanka

As the Afghanistan National Cricket Team prepares to play its two “must win” one day international matches against Kenya in the UAE this week, excitement is building across the country. The Afghan team must win both matches on Wednesday and Friday if it is to qualify for the World Cup 2015 this year – the International Cricket Council’s flagship 50-over competition to be played in Australia and New Zealand.

Afghanistan have 15 points from 12 matches and are currently in fourth place in the eight-team World Cricket League. Ireland, with 24 points, have already won the championship and qualified for the World Cup. Currently, the United Arab Emirates on 18 points are in second position. If Afghanistan win both their matches this week it will knock the UAE out of second position and will qualify for the World Cup.

If Afghanistan fail in their bid to defeat Kenya in the two matches, it will join the other five bottom teams in the World Cricket League and have a second chance at next year’s qualifier in New Zealand, when the 6 teams will join Hong Kong, Nepal, Papua New Guinea and Uganda competing for the final two spots.

“Of course, we don’t want to have to try again next year in the qualifier,” Dr Noor Mohammad Murad, CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said today, “we believe we have the talent to win both of these matches and every cricket fan in Afghanistan is hoping for our national team to do just that. The hopes and prayers of millions of Afghan people are a very strong motivation for our team.”

In addition to these two 50-0ver matches, the Afghan team will also play two T20 matches and its final match in the Intercontinental Cup 2011-2013 against Kenya over the next 11 days. Afghanistan have already achieved second place in the Intercontinental Cup tournament which has been played from 2011 to 2013. They will face Ireland in Dubai in the final in December. Afghanistan were the winners of the last Intercontinental Cup in 2010.

An Afghan television station, 1 TV (One TV), will be telecasting the matches this week. It expects to have its highest ratings ever as millions of people stop to watch the Kenya matches.

Thousands of Afghans live and work in the UAE and this should guarantee sizeable crowds at the Sharjah and Global Cricket stadiums where the matches are being played.