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A surreal press conference heralded what promises to be a surreal T20I series between the two most expressive sides on the field. Any foreigner who comes to coach Afghanistan or Bangladesh says this about them: they play with a lot of passion, which tends to spill over on the field. What the professional coaches need to do is bring some calmness to their game, some method to their madness. And yet, the captains of the two most openly emotional sides in the world sat alongside their coaches – West Indian friends and former team-mates, Phil Simmons and Courtney Walsh – the most in control in that room.
In Dehradun – the new, adopted home ground of the newest nomads of world cricket – home captain Asghar Stanikzai and visiting captain Shakib Al Hasan maintained their cool as the press conference got chaotic, with local media unaware of any protocol in an organised press conference. There is only so much that they can be blamed: this is the first recognised cricket match of any sort in the city; they don’t have much experience of cricket press conferences.
Dehradun was once the doorway to paradise, the Himalayas. It still is home to prestigious institutions like Forest Research Institute, Doon School and Welham School, but the rest of it is now a typical Indian plains town. Ravaged by rampant urbanisation, it doesn’t have the infrastructure to deal with its own population and their cars, let alone an international match, even though the facilities at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium are top-notch, barring an untested pitch that promises to be two-paced. All the hotels in the city are full with holiday-makers that Mussoorie, the hill town 35km from here, can’t accommodate. A 25-minute thunderstorm two nights before the first match brought the already narrow roads to a complete standstill. Felled trees were still being cleared on the eve of the game.
Yet, Asghar knows that he and Afghanistan have worked in worse conditions, in their previous adopted homes. With the security situation back home, it is just not possible for Afghanistan to invite international teams. But cricket they must play. It has brought hope to a desperate nation. So they don’t complain. Not having the freedom of movement is the least of their issues. Asghar even jokes this adopted home is the best because it looks a bit like home. The hills remind them of Afghanistan, he says.
Afghanistan have a bittersweet relationship with Bangladesh. The teams play like each other. They both run on flair and emotion. Their passion on the field is only matched by their supporters. Bangladesh were like Afghanistan once. Teams wouldn’t take them seriously, they wouldn’t invite them to play. How can we improve if we don’t play and aren’t given a chance to fail, they used to ask.
They can identify with each other, but they also know they compete for the same limited space in international cricket. Afghanistan are brash when they question what they see as patience with Bangladesh, who in turn are the opposite of a secure big brother, denying series to teams like Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe just to protect their ranking in order to qualify for the World Cup. Afghanistan were such a threat that Bangladesh went on a lap of honour after beating them in the 2015 World Cup. Their then coach Chandika Hathurasingha had to remind them they had not come to win just one match.
“They are openly passionate. When things don’t go right, you can read it from off the field. They are really open that way. They argue a lot among themselves. It is not vicious arguing. It is just telling each other what they think there and then.”
Coach Andy Moles said these words about his former team Afghanistan, but they hold true to both these sides. Sparks will fly during these three matches. “It is going to be an exciting series because we all know both Bangladesh and Afghanistan play with our heart,” Asghar says. Shakib congratulates Afghanistan on the impending Test debut. There is a calm all around, but like the storm the other night, it will be different when these sides take the field.