If there is one city, after Kabul and Kandahar, that is closely following the fortunes of the Afghanistan cricket team, it’s Sharjah. In the early 2000s, it became the home of countless Afghans who left a country ravaged by war.
Abdulrahman Bukhatir, the man who brought cricket to the emirates with the best players in the world making regular pit stops in the desert in the 1980s and 90s, opened the doors of his Sharjah Cricket Stadium for the Afghan team in 2010. He and others associated with the game in the city will follow the events in Lahore on Friday as Afganistan face world champions Australia with a spot in the semifinals of the ICC Champions Trophy on the line.
“When they moved here, they faced hardships, but because of cricket, they had a lot of their own people supporting them,” Mazhar Khan, who has been closely associated with Bukhatir for over four decades and is now the general manager of the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, tells The Indian Express.
“In the beginning, they would work in industries in and around Sharjah and train in the evenings. But now they are beginning to dominate the cricket system here with their local players. All the local clubs prefer Afghans.”
Though they had Greater Noida as their home base for a while, since the pandemic they have moved to Sharjah. Many of their key players – like veteran spinner Mohammed Nabi, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Azmatullah Omarzai, Karim Janat – call the city their home.
“They are very comfortable with the environment and feel like home because of the large number of Pathans who live here,” Mazhar says.
They are at home with the pitch and conditions here as well. “We’ve left two pitches reserved for Afghanistan.” The small ground and pitches are tailor made for their spinners. When Afghanistan hosted South Africa and Bangladesh, Mazhar says, skipper Rashid Khan requested, “Sir, don’t want any grass”.
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Niaz-Ul-Aslam, the head coach of Sharjah Cricket Academy and one who worked with the Afghan team as assistant coach till recently, sheds light on the preparation for the Champions Trophy.
“It started after the 2023 World Cup. Since this is where they live, when they are here as a team, it helps with their preparation. They are no more a team dependent on one or two men. They have several impact players who can change a game,” Niaz says.
It is not just the top stars from Afghanistan who call the city their home. Of the 300 players enrolled at Sharjah’s Cricket Academy, almost 75 percent are Afghans. The Ramadan tournament, played in a T20 format, starts around the UAE on Friday, and there is a scramble among teams to get hold of Afghan players.
“We have about 20 teams in our tournament. Quite a few Afghans play for various teams and some of them get paid $100 per match, sometimes two per night,” Mazhar says.
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Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai, center, and teammates celebrate after winning the ICC Champions Trophy cricket match against England, in Lahore, Pakistan, Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo)
Feeling at home
Played in coloured clothing under lights on turf pitches, these matches were once dominated by Indian and Pakistani expatriates. But these days, it is the Afghans who are in demand. The number of Afghans is increasing with the second generation beginning to get their education here, and the cricketing ecosystem of the UAE and Oman is also beginning to open its doors for them.
“Earlier, some of them used to move out for education, but now with a lot of schools and colleges here, they prefer to stay as it also allows them to stay connected to cricket. A majority of them are second- generation Afghans settled here, so they are eligible to play.”
Niaz, who is of Pakistani origin, is stunned by what he sees at his academy and during his trips to Kabul.
“A majority of the boys in the academy are from Afghanistan. But what strikes me the most is what is happening in Kabul which the rest of the world doesn’t know. One day I took a count. There were 50 boys who were bowling like Rashid and 37 like Mujeeb-ur-Rehman. They are going to keep coming because they know cricket can change their lives. They are getting opportunities everywhere,” says Niaz.
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Last year, fast bowler Omid Rahman, who was raised in Sharjah, became the first Afghan to play for the UAE. According to Niaz, even his brother is knocking on the door. “There are a lot of players waiting for opportunities. You have six teams playing First-Class cricket in Afghanistan, so there is all-round development. It isn’t just about spinners. Look how far their batting has evolved.”
Afghanistan and Australia have some recent history between them. Glenn Maxwell defeated them on one leg at the 2023 World Cup, but the tables were turned at the T20 World Cup last year.
“When you play with their egos, it hurts them. When you want them to win a game, don’t give them any batting or bowling advice. Just find a way to hurt their egos. England and Australia, by refusing to play Afghanistan, have hurt them. They have cancelled matches, which means a lot to the Afghan public. You could see it against England. Now, they want to do the same with Australia,” Niaz adds.
