Thread by @ABsay_ek

Tim Albone made a beautiful documentary on Afghanistan cricket in 2010 called “Out of The Ashes” & when you watch it, though it's a documentary; you'll realize Taj Malik is the hero of this film...

He defied skeptics who deemed Afghanistan's World Cup dreams implausible...

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Malik grew up in Pakistan's Kacha Gari refugee camp, where his family sought refuge among six million fleeing the 1979 Soviet invasion...
Life in the camp, was harsh: their home was a 3-room mud hut lacking basic amenities like electricity,water,or sewage...

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Despite these challenges, Malik developed his love for cricket, improvising with makeshift equipment like sticks & plastic bags & started playing Cricket in 1987,with a tennis ball, as a refugee in Pakistan while watching English team playing in Pakistan...

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In 2001, Malik ventured into Afghanistan, first to Jalalabad & then a devastated Kabul...
Despite the turmoil,he secured approval from Afghan Olympic Committee to establish a cricket team, overcoming skepticism from Dari-speaking leaders who viewed cricket as a Pakistani sport favored by the Taliban, contrasting with Pashto-speaking refugees in Pakistan...

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Malik found an unlikely ally with Major Andrew Banks, a cricket aficionado at the British Embassy, who facilitated donations of equipment from English county teams & the ECB...
ARMED with these resources,Malik arranged a match where his inexperienced team faced off against the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) & emerged victorious, despite their lack of prior experience with hard cricket balls...

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Later, Malik orchestrated a Tournament at Chaman-i-Hozori, near a wrecked Soviet helicopter, inviting teams nationwide to compete for spots for national team...
Despite financial constraints & the risk of ridicule, he uncovered remarkable talents...

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His leadership was not without challenges; Malik competed with Allah Dad Noori to lead the emerging Afghanistan cricket team...
During Malik's stay in Pakistan, Noori established the Afghanistan Cricket Federation in 1995, initially gaining Taliban support...
After negotiations, a compromise was reached: Noori took on the presidency of the Afghanistan Cricket Federation (later the Afghanistan Cricket Board), while Malik assumed roles as general secretary & national coach...

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In 2001, Afghanistan received Affiliate membership from the ICC...
Their official debut came at the 2004 Asian Cricket Council (ACC) Trophy, where they competed against 15 teams & finished in sixth place by beating Malaysia & Bahrain...

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They transformed their refugee camps into cricket training grounds, refining their skills through tours to Pakistan, India, & Sri Lanka...
They got an invitation to tour England, Players like Mohammad Nabi & Hamid Hassan were awarded scholarships to train at Lord’s...

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Major success came in 2008 when Afghanistan clinched the Division Five final with a thrilling victory over Jersey, chasing down a target of 81 after losing 8 wickets...

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However, amidst this success, Malik lost his coaching role as the Afghanistan Cricket Board sought a more professional setup, citing his lack of First-Class experience...
But Malik had some different views on it as he said during in this article of Tim Wigmore:

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In his place Kabir Khan, a former Pakistani international cricketer became the Coach & with his guidance & Under Navroz Mangal’s leadership, they swiftly progressed through Division Four & Division Three within a year, earning a spot in the 2009 World Cup Qualifiers where they played their first ever ODI...

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Interestingly Nawroz Mangal ,The first captain of Afghanistan Cricket Team was discovered by Malik in a refugee camp...
Initially opposed by Mangal’s father, who saw cricket as an unreliable livelihood, Malik went to their home,stayed overnight & convinced them to allow their son to join Afghanistan's cricket team...

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They were on 90th rank in 2001 but within a decade they reached to 14th rank & achieved their dream of competing in a World Cup in 2010....after victory in the World T20 Qualifiers, earning their place in the World T20 tournament in the West Indies....

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Today, Afghanistan has already made history by reaching into the Semifinals in the same tournament and at the same venue, & they are potentially just two games away from etching an unforgettable chapter in cricketing folklore...

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Will stop it for today with an Afghani poem which you can hear many time in "Out of the Ashes":
“Pull up your sleeves,
Come onto the streets,
And start dancing
Because happiness is rare in a poor man’s life.”

It's a testament to how far they've come that it's no more a rarity..

@TajMalokAlam