'I love cricket.' Mullah Badruddin, a Taliban fighter recalls the militant group laying down their weapons and, for a brief moment, enjoying cricket
Afghan boy wait for a brief dust storm to pass while playing cricket in Kabul, Afghanistan, October 7, 2016.
"When Afghanistan play against another team, we listen to the radio with great interest and we also check for scores in social media and follow those in Facebook who give live updates," he toldFirst played in Afghanistan by British troops in the 19th Century, the game was adopted by Afghans in the refugee camps of cricket-loving Pakistan, where more than 3 million fled a Soviet invasion and civil war in the 1980s and 1990s, and has since made huge strides in the country, particularly...
Despite the Taliban's former suspicion of organised sports and their opposition to much of the transformation in Afghanistan since their regime was toppled in 2001, many of the mainly Pashtun movement's fighters are fans. A video clip he shot on his mobile phone shows dozens of Taliban, many with Kalashnikov automatic rifles slung across their shoulders, dissecting the quality of the team.
From the other side of the war, the feeling is similar. Sadiq who has just returned to practice after a long injury, aiming to take part in the upcoming World Cup, said the Taliban usually send them congratulatory messages through social media and on his cellphone when Afghanistan win.
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