Azmatullah Omarzai: From playing cricket on streets of Nangarhar to showing street smartness against Kuldeep Yadav at World Cup

But his life changed in 2014 when Afghanistan beat Bangladesh for the first time, in the Asia Cup. That was when Omarzai’s father asked him what he wanted to become in life. And the 14-year-old said that he loves cricket and wanted to become a cricketer.

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“In 2014, me and my family were watching Afghanistan’s match against Bangladesh in the Asia Cup. Afghanistan won that match and even my father, who did not understand much about the sport, enjoyed the experience. He used to ask us what was happening whenever we celebrated any four or six hit by our team. He celebrated Afghanistan’s victory and gave us the car keys to go out and celebrate even though we were not allowed to roam out in the evenings,” Omarzai had told the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) YouTube channel in 2021.

“When we came back, my father asked me if I wanted to become a cricketer. I told him that I had loved the game for a long time and played tennis-ball street cricket. After that, my father allowed me to play,” he said.

Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai plays a shot during the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 match between India and Afghanistan, at Arun Jaitley Stadium, in New Delhi. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha)

Four years on from playing on the street with a tennis ball, the youngster went on to play for the Afghanistan U-19 team and was part of the 2018 World Cup led by seamer Naveen-ul-Haq. His other teammates included Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran, Ikram Aikhil, Qais Ahmad, Zahir Khan and Mujeeb Ur Rahman.

In the quarter-final, Omarzai smoked a 23-ball 66, hitting seven maximums, against hosts New Zealand as Afghanistan won by 202 runs. Although they lost the semifinal against Australia, they showed that the future of Afghan cricket was in safe hands.

“The U-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand was a great experience and a great start to my career. Against New Zealand, Ibrahim Zadran, Gurbaz and Basheer Shah gave us a brilliant start. Then I went in and executed the plan and the role that the coach had given me as a finisher. It was the first match I played which was broadcast live,” Omarzai recalled.

Shining on the big stage

Cut to the present, the all-rounder has showcased the indomitable spirit that has characterised Afghanistan’s sharp rise in world cricket. The most fascinating part of his batting on Wednesday was the way he played Kuldeep Yadav and Ravindra Jadeja.

He generally bats down the order but against India, was promoted and proved the decision right. In the 25th over, he hit Kuldeep for two sixes, which broke the shackles. It was clean hitting and provided a glimpse of the knock he played five years ago in the U-19 World Cup. Jadeja was also hit for a six with the same disdain but the best was the last one, when he picked Kuldeep’s googly and dispatched it over long-on.

Hardik Pandya’s celebration, when he finally got rid of Omarzai could be seen as a sign of relief.

Afghanistan’s Azmatullah Omarzai play a shot against India in new Delhi. (Express Photo by Abhinav Saha)

This was not the first time Omarzai has rescued his team from a precarious situation. He credits his success to street cricket and recalls a story that has made him the cricketer he is today.

“I have sweet memories of street cricket. My elder brothers used to play tennis-ball cricket. One day, they needed a player and decided to take me in. During the match, the situation at one time was such that the opposition needed only 15-16 runs with five wickets in hand. The captain threw me the ball. I used to bowl off-breaks back then. I grabbed the opportunity and turned around the match by taking four wickets in a single over and we won the match,” he said.

Omarzai, who considers himself a genuine all-rounder, idolises Virat Kohli and Mohammad Nabi and wants to play in the Indian Premier League and other high-profile leagues.

“I love batting. It’s my primary role and I have worked hard on it. Whenever I am set at the crease, I strive to score quickly and help the team set a high score on the board.

“However, I developed a liking for bowling a bit later. My coaches have worked with me and now I consider myself a proper all-rounder. I aspire to play around the world in different leagues, especially in the IPL, since so many Afghan cricketers play in that league. I hope, Inshahallah, that I will become a great cricketer for my country,” he said.

Omarzai’s knock on Wednesday might have attracted the attention of the scouts of many IPL franchises and he might get a call-up. But it’s going to be a long road to achieve that dream. But the street-smart cricketer has definitely shown the hunger and the technique to prosper on the bigger stage.

Whatever the future holds for him, he will never forget those four sixes in front of approximately 20,000 people; and neither will the streets of Delhi.