Miandad to help Afghanistan

Afghanistan have approached the former Pakistan captain Javed Miandad to help them qualify for the 2011 World Cup in the subcontinent. The team won the World Cricket League (WCL) Division 3 tournament in Argentina in January and booked their place in the World Cup qualifiers in South Africa this April.

Miandad quit as director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board last month and he's set to go to China in March as a cricket ambassador.

"I have been approached and since I greatly appreciate their rise in international cricket, I will definitely go there and help them get a place in the World Cup," Miandad told AFP. "Pakistan has always supported Afghanistan. Their team practiced in Lahore before they went to Argentina and as a Pakistan cricket official I did what I could do to help them.”

Afghanistan’s rise is remarkable for a war-ravaged nation and it’s no surprise they are a rage among the minnows. Pakistan have played a significant part in their growth, providing them training and equipment, something their own government failed to do. The team, which came together only in 2002, also won Divisions 4 and 5 in the WCL.

Afghanistan need to make it to the semi-finals in South Africa to ensure a place at the World Cup. Their first game is against Denmark on April 1 at Vanderbijlpark.

http://blogs.cricinfo.com/btw/archives/afghanistan/

What's he going to teach them? How to get your own umpires to never give you out lbw?

oh. i thought he was going to engage the help of his son's in-laws

Zat wrote:What's he going to teach them? How to get your own umpires to never give you out lbw?

No, he has good contacts amongst the bookies in SA

taipan wrote:

Zat wrote:What's he going to teach them? How to get your own umpires to never give you out lbw?

No, he has good contacts amongst the bookies in SA

Inherited the business from Hansie?

The One wrote:oh. i thought he was going to engage the help of his son's in-laws

Yeah, it's good they clarified the cricket part.

maybe his buddy will help put them on a boat to bombay

Perhaps he will help in betting and match fixing in Sharjah so they can be allowed to win some matches to qualify. Or use his son's rather infamous father-in-law's underworld influence [owner of the Sharjah betting syndicate] to either win betting in Sharjah arm twist the ICC into letting Afghanistan in.....

Afghanistan have a lot of talent.

Some one of Javed's enormous stature can easily turn them in to a decent ODI team where they can occassionally beat the likes of Ireland, Kenya and Pakistan.

"Some one of Javed's enormous stature can easily turn them in to a decent ODI team where they can occassionally beat the likes of Ireland, Kenya and Pakistan."

Ouch...

So Miandad will help Afghanistan take Pakistan's place in the 'Top 8', so Pakistan can play Associates cricket with Ireland and Kenya?

Makes sense. An eminently logical development.

On the other hand the Afghans will probably put out a team of Pathans with 11 Afridis in it...........