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Afghan Taliban want to join international cricket body

Thursday, January 20 6:58 PM SGT

KARACHI, Jan 20 (AFP) - Afghanistan's ruling Taliban militia want to promote cricket in the war-ravaged country and are trying to join the International Cricket Council, Pakistani cricket officials said Thursday.

"They have written to us and want us to help recommend them for associate membership of the ICC," said Yawar Saeed, a member of the Pakistan Cricket Board's advisory council.

Pakistan officials will visit Afghanistan to see what cricket facilities the country has.

"We have decided to send a PCB representative to Afghanistan. We would like to help them, there is no doubt about it. But we want to see what they have on ground," Saeed said.

Pakistani along with Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are the only countries which recognize the Taliban, an Islamic fundamentalist militia, as the legitimate rulers of Afghanistan.

Mirza Iqbal, a spokesman for the Pakistan Cricket Board, said two cricket officials had visited from Afghanistan, including Allahdad Nuri, head of the Afghan Cricket Federation.

The men met with Naseem-ul Ghani, a former Pakistan cricketer and now the ICC's development officer for Asia.

"Two officials from Afghanistan visited Pakistan and held a meeting and requested help for the promotion of the game in their country," Mirza said.

The Afghans also asked for cricket coaches and funding and said cricket was becoming popular in Afghanistan.

"I cannot say anything about the future of cricket there or about Taliban as we have no idea of the existing facilities in Afghanistan," said Saeed.

With Afghanistan still locked in bitter fighting and with much of the country covered with deadly landmines, few people in the country play cricket.

Since seizing Kabul in 1996 the Taliban have brought most of Afghanistan under their ultra-orthodox interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, banning women from outside jobs and education and ordering men to grow untrimmed beards.

In 1998, Afghani boxers were banned from participating in an international boxing tournament held in Karachi because they refused to trim their beards.

"We all pray that Afghans adopt not only the technical aspects of the game but the charisma that surrounds the cricketing field," said legendary batsman Hanif Mohammad said.

"But it is good news as the more children are involved in cricket, the further they will be from the fighting. The atmosphere will change as mothers and fathers come to watch their children play," he said.

"It is good for Afghanistan itself."