TO fully comprehend Afghanistans journey to the global international stage is to know its very origin.
It was only 20 years ago that somewhere close to the border in the North West Frontier, a notice was pinned on a bus stop: All those who want to play cricket for the Afghanistan team, please meet here in three months time.
While the whole truth may have been lost in the romanticism of it all, the growth of the Afghanistan mens team over the past two decades, which culminated in a first appearance in a major ICC tournament semi-final just a couple of months ago in Tarouba, Trinidad and Tobago, is a truly remarkable story.
Admittedly, the complexities around the womens game, and its stagnation to the point of elimination under Taliban rule in Afghanistan remains a point of conjecture, but the mens team continues to be a source of inspiration and beacon of hope for so many back home.
Rashid Khan, who is back playing his first ODI since last years World Cup in India, is an icon of excellence and an illustration of what can be achieved through cricket. Theres little doubt that the likes of teenage spinner AM Ghazanfar hero-worships Rashid and fellow trailblazers such as Mohammed Nabi.
