Or is it just the start?

To get this far after starting in Division 5 of the World Cricket League is still quite an achievement for people who started playing cricket while living as refugees in Pakistan.

Afghanistan has not qualified for the 2011 World Cup, but by ending in the top 6 in the qualifiers, it has managed to get itself ODI status for the next 4 years.

Had someone told Afganistan 2 years ago that by 2009 they would be playing ODIs, no one would have believed it.

But now they are there.

And they are there as the strongest Asian associate nation.

UAE, Hong Kong, Nepal have all been left behind.

Now its upto the ICC to help Afghanistan progress from here.

They need to provide adequate funds for the development of the game in the country.

They also need to ensure that Afghanistan play enough ODIs during a season.

They need to arrange bilateral tours with other associates.

I'm not sure how many countries will tour Afghanistan, but there's no stopping them from touring and the ICC needs to make it happen.

With teams not touring Pakistan in the near future, and maybe for even longer, an ODI series against Afghanistan cannot be counted out.

Maybe Sledgehammer's dream of witnessing Pakistan take on Afghanistan in Peshawar will finally come true!

The Dream hasn't come to a stop, it has just started for the Afghans!

Not after their Super 8 victory over the strongest team in the World Cup Qualifiers.

Ireland were the only unbeaten team going into the Super 8 stage.

While Afghanistan had got there with losses against the top 3 sides of their Group - Kenya, Netherlands, and the UAE.

But today as the Super 8 stage got off to a shocking start, so did Afghanistan as they toppled Ireland by 22 runs.

Afghanistan face a tough challenge to qualify for the 2011 World Cup but with this victory over Ireland, they have started to face that challenge in the best way possible.

Ireland down, Scotland and Canada to go!

For some strange reason whenever Afghanistan have won a match in this tournament, my other favorite, UAE, has lost theirs.

Even more shocking is that UAE lost to a relatively weaker Namibia side and that too comprehensively.

The Super 8s have definitely kicked off in a shocking manner.

Who will qualify is no longer a garantee I think and I would definitely not count Afghanistan out.

In other news, Bermuda will take on Uganda soon to decide on the 9th ranked associate nation, while Oman and Denmark will fight out for the 11th spot.

UAE played Afghanistan today in what was the main event of the World Cup Qualifiers for me.

I was backing Afghanistan all the way as UAE had already won all but one of its matches. An Afghan win would have improved their chances of securing a World Cup place.

After the loss to the UAE though, its looking tough for the Afghans.

They have qualified for the Super Eights along with Kenya, Netherlands, and UAE - all 3 of whom have 4 wins from 5 matches but are ranked in that order on the basis of net run rate.

But a Super Eight berth, where they go up against stronger opposition in Scotland, Ireland, and Canada, does not guarantee a World Cup place.

Only the top 4 are going to qualify.

On current form that looks like Ireland, the only team that is unbeaten in the competition, and any 3 of Canada, Kenya, Netherlands, and the UAE.

There were no surprises in the final round of matches of the group stages, besides Oman winning their first match of the tournament.

They beat Uganda, who also managed only 1 win in 5 matches, by a single wicket in what turned out to be one of the most exciting matches of the Qualifiers thus far - it produced the highest run chase of the tournament.

Those of you have flown into or via Dubai must have at some point taken Emirates Airlines.

Well the next time you buy a ticket from Emirates, make sure you leave a message for one Amjad Javed.

Amjad Javed, who works for Emirates Airlines in the UAE, smashed a career best 164 against Denmark in the world cup qualifiers today.

Amjad opens the batting and the bowling for Emirates Airlines cricket team, and he is doing the same for the UAE in the qualifiers.

His knock came off only 117 deliveries and included 17 boundaries and 8 sixes! It also led UAE to the highest total posted thus far in the competition - 379/6.

This was only Amjad's 2 century in 15 List A matches and his highest knock at all levels of the game.

This was UAE's 3rd victory in 4 matches they look well set for 2011.

Afghanistan though, my other favorite, lost their 2nd consecutive match after a strong start to the tournament.

They were beaten by Netherlands.

Group A's top 4 teams matches now look like this: UAE beat Netherlands, who beat Afghanistan and Kenya, who beat both UAE and Afghanistan.

Everyone's favorite associate nation player, Dwayne Leverock, had made quite an impact in his 2 games for Bermuda in the qualifiers.

Who would be interested in a cricket tournament that involves teams from places as diverse as Denmark, Uganda, Namibia, Bermuda, and Oman?

Not many.

"Do these countries even play cricket?" is the common response you get from majority of the cricket followers.

When you tell them that Afghanistan has a cricket team that has against all odds managed to get to the qualifying competition for the 2011 World Cup, you manage to attract some attention.

Which is lost again when they hear that the Nertherlands, UAE, Kenya, Scotland, Ireland, and Canada are also trying to qualify.

"But they have played World Cups before and never done anything. Why do they even try?" is another reaction that is quite common.

Well, Kenya managed to reach the semi-finals in 2003.

Ireland managed to kick Pakistan out of the 2007 World Cup.

A Canadian batsmen made the fastest world cup century.

A UAE opener smashed Wasim Akram and Waqar Younis out of the park on several occasions.

These few achievements have not been enough to convince the cricket watching public that the associate nations are good enough to compete among the best in a World Cup.

These people have a point and their reactions are valid to some extent.

What happened to Kenya after they reached the Semis?

There was potential to build that team. The platform was set. They could have developed into a world class ODI outfit.

It did not happen though.

Had the administrators tried to develop the game in Kenya by providing them better facilities and more international games, maybe they would not have been in a position where they would have had to try and qualify for another world cup.

They are former semi-finalists for God's sake!

Afghanistan has shown a lot of promise throughout their matches in the World Leagues leading upto the ICC Qualifiers.

That promise needs to be developed further.

Afghanistan should not go the way Kenya did after 2003.

Funding, development, facilities, coaches, whatever they need. It should be provided.

I know its the recession but the big bux are still being raked in by some cricket boards. I don't need to mention them.

Good use is utilizing it for developing these associate nations that show potential to be world beaters.

I have lived in the UAE all my life almost and I have seen their cricket develop slower than a snail's pace. In fact a snail seems to take strides in front of how the game has developed here.

The UAE have appeared in a World Cup and in almost all the qualifying competitions.

Yet their cricketers still play on cement wickets and sandy outfields.

Why? Why is their no support for the associate nations? Where does the money from the "development fund" go?

There are still only 2 international stadiums in the UAE, out of which one is banned and the other has hosted a handful of ODIs. A 3rd one is about to host its first.

Why has there been so much inaction?

I cannot blame the cricket watching public for being un-interested or ignorant about the matches played by associate nations.

How can we expect them to take the likes of Kenya, Afghanistan, and the UAE seriously when the administrators themselves don't?

There's a lot of potential out there. A lot of promise. A lot of opportunity.

We just need the right people to tap into it the right way!

There's one international team that doesn't have a problem with playing cricket in Pakistan.

That's Afghanistan!

They have had a dream run leading up to the ICC World Cup qualifiers winning all the World Cricket Leagues.

Afghanistan have a real shot at playing the 2011 World Cup and they are currently in Pakistan, training for the qualifiers.

Quite brave of them to be in Pakistan, but then when you think of what is going on in their own country, Pakistan appears to be a "safe" bet.

I went through the Aghanistan squad for the World Cup qualifiers and was surprised to see 1 name.

That of Rafatullah Mohmand.

Rafatullah is a big name in the domestic circuit in Pakistan.

He plays for Peshawar and Habib Bank, both under current Pakistan skipper Younis Khan.

Younis has rated him highly in the past.

I've seen Rafatullah bat on a few occassions - some T20 innings and 1 pentangular and he is a more than decent bat.

He's got more that 12 years of experience at the first class level.

Earlier this decade, around 2001-02, Rafatullah had a very succesful domestic season and he was being considered as a future opener for Pakistan when they were looking for replacements for Saeed Anwar and Aamir Sohail.

For some reason Rafatullah never made it.

But now he has a chance to play international cricket.

For Afghanistan!

I wonder how that was made possible since he is a Pakistani.

Afghanistan's that is.

Remember when I talked about the World Cricket Leagues and explained the process that led to qualification for the ICC World Cup.

And remember when Sledge talked about the progress that Afghanistan had made in the World Cricket Leagues.

I don't hold it against you if you don't.

Well the Qualification process has reached Division 3 now where the winners of Division 4 join Argentina, Cayman Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda.

The only thing I knew about the Cayman Islands was that it was a popular place to register companies and funds due to some tax exempt or something.

They play cricket as well. Thats amazing.

The team from Division 4 that is joining them is none other than Afghanistan.

Damn lucky those Afghanis are for travelling to Buenos Aires.

Thats where Division 3 of the World Cricket League will kick off later this month.

I want to go to Buenos Aires. Its beautiful I hear.

And its hosting a cricket tournament. Wow!

In Argentina. That used to be my favorite soccer team.

Loved Maradona before he became soccer's own Mohammad Asif.

I wonder if Maradona has ordered some special stuff through the Afghans. You don't get better than that.

Ask Asif!

And you don't get a better associate nation than Afghanistan.

Ask any Division 5 and Division 4 associate nation!

Afghanistan have marched into Division 3 of the World Cricket League by winning both the previous divisions.

Afghanistan have lost only 1 World Cricket League match on their way to Division 3 where they are up against Argentina, Papua New Guinea, Uganda, and the Cayman Islands.

From what I hear about the Afghani cricketers, I would be surprised if they don't win Division 3 as well.

The top 2 teams from Division 3 will join Division 1 and 2 for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers that will be held this year.

I believe, we can count the Afghanis to be there for the qualifiers.

Thats where they will be up against the best: UAE, Namibia, Kenya, Scotland, Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, Bermuda, Oman, and Denmark.

Currently the Afghanistan cricket team is in Lahore practicing at the National Cricket Academy.

They are receiving valuable tips from Aqib Javed, Ijaz Ahmed, and Rashid Latif.

Besides the practice facilities, they are also playing some practice matches against Pakisani domestic sides.

Valuable experience this for the Afghan cricketers.

If you want an idea of what kind of team Afghanistan might be - i'd say imagine a team with 11 Shahid Afridis.

On there day, they can demolish anyone. Here are scorecards of the Division 4 and Division 5 finals.

I thought Hitler had shot the entire team down after they had drawn a game of cricket that they had been playing for 5 days. And since then no one played cricket in Germany again.

That ain't true though as Germany begins its campaign for the 2011 ICC World Cup today.

I didn't know that the qualification process for the Cricket World Cup inolved several structured leagues.

I knew about the qualifiers for the associate nations, but there are a few tournaments held for teams to qualify for the qualifiers.

Qualifying for the Qualifiers. Interesting that.

Apparently there are 5 leagues known as the ICC World Cricket Leagues.

Let start from the bottom.

World Cricket League Division 5 kicks off this week with a tournament in Jersey. The Participating teams are:

Afghanistan, Bahamas, Botswana, Germany, Japan, Jersey, Mozambique, Nepal, Norway, Singapore, USA, and Vanuatu.

I didn't even know that there is a country called Vanuatu, let alone the fact that it played cricket. I guess USA vs Japan will be an intensely contested match.

The 2 finalists of this tournament will then qualify for the World Cricket League Divison 4, which includes Fiji, Honk Kong, Italy, and Tanzania.

Italy?

Remind me this is not soccer I'm talking about. The Italians playing cricket? Amazing. Seriously. They must be really good at sledging. I wonder why the French don't play.

The top 2 teams from the Division 4 tournament will then qualify for the World Cricket League Division 3, where they join Argentina, Cayman Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda.

This is getting bigger than Soccer I tell you. Germany, Italy, and now Argentina! The French are still missing though.

The top 2 teams from Division 3 qualify for the ICC World Cup Qualifiers that will be held in 2009.

10 teams have already qualified for the 2009 ICC World Cup Qualifiers. These are the 6 teams that are part of the World Cricket League Division 1 and the 4 teams of the World Cricket League Division 2.

World Cricket League Division 1: Kenya, Scotland, Netherlands, Canada, Ireland, Bermuda
World Cricket League Division 2: UAE, Oman, Namibia, Denmark

Actually Uganda and Argentina were part of Division 2 but since they were the bottom 2 they got relegated to Division 3 and still stand a chance to play in the World Cup Qualifiers.

But where are the French? And the Chinese?

If they don't play cricket where did the term "French Cricket" come from? And the "Chinese Cut"?

(Source: Cricinfo, Wikipeda)