How to get Switzerland to the World Cup and also watch Out of the Ashes

I've not had much time to blog of late.  However, on the bus home from work the other day, I did have time to come up with a plan to get Switzerland to the 2015 World Cup.  This plan won me a copy of Out of the Ashes on DVD, courtesy of King Cricket.  Thanks King.

I've blogged about Out of the Ashes plenty already, but it really is a very good film.  A friend pointed out to me that it's available to UK web-users on BBC iPlayer until the end of the month.  What are you waiting for?  Go watch it now.

Out of the Ashes: The Rise of the Afghan Cricket Team

This weekend, while Cook, Pietersen and company were piling on the runs in Adelaide... while a depleted Indian ODI side was cruising to an unassailable 3-0 lead against New Zealand... and while torrential rain was frustrating both the West Indian tourists and their Sri Lankan hosts... over in Dubai, Afghanistan's cricketers were collecting yet another piece of silverware. This time it was the ICC Intercontinental Cup, the first-class tournament between the world's leading non-Test nations. The Afghans drew their opening game back in August - their first taste of four-day cricket - before winning six on the trot to finish as unbeaten champions. Given that they also beat Ireland to win the ICC World Twenty20 Qualifier earlier this year, are they now at the top of the waiting list for (though admittedly still a long way off) Test status? Certainly they've continued to improve rapidly since narrowly missing out on World Cup qualification in April 2009.

Back in February, I blogged about the fact that I was waiting for the release of "Out of the Ashes," a documentary following the Afghan team's remarkable rise "from refugees to the world stage." Since then, the film has gained Sam Mendes as an Executive Producer, been named "Best of the Fest" at the Edinburgh Film Festival and won an international peace and sport prize. Last month, I finally got to see it, thanks to an eagle-eyed friend who spotted that it was out on (very) limited release in London.

Two Brett Lee's, two Shahzads and two-hundred not out

Lee handles the white ball far better than the red

Dennis Lillee greeted news of Brett Lee’s retirement from Test cricket with the following statement:

"Brett is going to go down as one of the great all-time express bowlers in the world ... 150-plus kph puts a huge strain on the body and it can only take so much. For him to play 76 Tests and take 300-odd wickets doing what he does is a credit to him."

Perhaps it takes one to know one, because I can’t for the life of me see how Lee can be considered a Test great. Apart from the first year of his career and a brief period in 2007-2008, he has actually been pretty average. He has never come close to hitting the kind of heights Dale Steyn has reached over the last couple of years. Lee has been over-hyped because he is clean living, photogenic and has happened to feature in some memorable Ashes and Border-Gavaskar battles. People’s perceptions of his effectiveness with the red ball are also coloured by his excellence with the white. Lee's ODI record may be pretty special but his Test record is not especially pretty.

At any rate, it’s sad to see him struggling with injury as he gives his all on the pitch and is very exciting to watch. Let’s hope he and his pal Freddie Flintoff both recover in time to play in next year’s World Cup.

Beausejour beckons for Team Afghanistan

They did it.

On Saturday morning, Noor Ali and Raees Ahmadzai ran the most important single in their country's short cricketing history, clinching a 4-wicket victory over the UAE that secured Afghanistan a spot at the World Twenty20 in the Caribbean this spring.

The triumphant Afghans then celebrated by drubbing Ireland in the final of the Qualifying Tournament. When Mohammad Shahzad finished off proceedings by launching a long hop over cover for six, he catapulted Afghanistan into Group C at the main event, where they will play India and South Africa.

Hamid Hassan's blog post on Cricinfo received more than a 100 congratulatory comments in 24 hours. I mentioned on Friday that Hassan had likened his team's story to that of Rocky Balboa. Well, the Italian Stallion may have come from fairly humble beginnings, but he didn't come from a refugee camp. Ahmadzai, wicketkeeper-batsman Karim Sadiq, fast bowler Hasti Gul and former coach Taj Malik all learnt to play cricket in the vast Kacha Garhi Camp near Peshawar and most of their teammates grew up in similar settlements in Pakistan's Northwest Frontier Province.

An Afghan T20 offensive

"Major Afghan offensive launched" is the top headline on the BBC News website right now. "Thousands of American and Afghan troops have launched the biggest offensive in Afghanistan since the overthrow of the Taliban in 2001." You can't help but feel sorry for the civilian population of Afghanistan.

Which is why I'm supporting their cricket team. Afghanistan have been blazing a trail in the Qualifying Tournament for the upcoming ICC World Twenty20. They beat favourites Ireland in their first game and (rather ironically) also knocked out the USA. They suffered their first defeat today, which means their final group game tomorrow is a straight shoot-out with hosts UAE for a spot at the main event in the Caribbean.

One of their star players, Hamid Hassan, has professed his love of the Rocky movies in a blog post on Cricinfo and noted the parallels between his team's story and that of Sly Stallone's legendary boxer. I hope Hassan gets the Hollywood ending he's praying for.