From reel to real life: Coach Kabir Khan awaits his Chak De moment
A majority in the Afghanistan camp have seen Bollywood flick Chak De several times. For a dreamy-eyed bunch from a war-ravaged country,their liking for a quintessential underdog movie is quite understandable....
A majority in the Afghanistan camp have seen Bollywood flick Chak De several times. For a dreamy-eyed bunch from a war-ravaged country,their liking for a quintessential underdog movie is quite understandable. But there is one more reason as to why the 2007 Shah Rukh Khan-starrer has struck a chord with the team: their coach Kabir Khan.
It is a coincidence that the Bollywood superstars character in that movie is also a coach and goes by the same name. For the Afghans,though,its another reason to believe they can win.
My boys tell me that I am the asli Kabir Khan and that SRK copied what I did. I actually like that joke, laughs Kabir,underplaying that fact that he,indeed,has changed the face of Afghanistan cricket.
The 36-year-old Kabir is a former left-arm fast bowler who represented Pakistan in four Test matches and 10 ODIs during the 90s. His career as a player was modest,but for someone who was asked to take up the coachs job in Afghanistan on an experimental basis purely because he was the only qualified coach in the Asian Cricket Council who could speak Pashto he has done wonders.
Initially,he gave his consent for just two months. Its two years now since he has been at the helm and is looking forward to having a longer association.
When I was first asked to coach Afghanistan,my reaction was,Do they play cricket in Afghanistan? But we have come a long way since then. It has been an education for me as well.
Sometimes the players tell me that we are much better than what you think. I know their mindset,sometimes I yell at them to make them angry,and they let it out against the opposition. This is an emotional bunch of players. You have to know how to tap that to get the best out of them, he says.
Mental strength
Technically the Afghan players might have a lot to learn,says Kabir,but mentally they are as tough as any other team in world cricket. And the coach hasnt made them so,their upbringing has.
A lot of it is because of the way they have been brought up. During the war,when they were in refugee camps,they were fighting to survive for food,clothes and for a living. That upbringing has made them mentally tough and they know that only when they win,they can survive. That kind of a mindset is what has made them successful in cricket too, he adds.
Having guided the team from ICCs Division Five to a spot in the World T20 championship,Kabir is a hero in Afghanistan,felicitated by President Hamid Karzai. He shies away from taking the credit,though.
As far as I am concerned,these players are my heroes. For the last 20 months they way they have climbed the ladder steadily. This success has brought a lot of change. Youngsters are now taking up sport. Cricket is unifying Afghan people. Today,the whole nation is praying for us, he says.
There is still a long way to go for Kabir Khan and his team. There is a yawning gap between the associate nations and the top league of world cricket. But the signs are encouraging. They have already won a practice match albeit against Ireland.
The team is not looking too far ahead right now,and Kabir is busy negotiating discount deals for his team members as they shop for glares and zinc. Its important to get the right look as well, he says.
Having shaped up the team,its akin to applying the finishing touch.
Share
