T20 World Cup started again yesterday, and the surprising thing this time is that the last T20 World Cup happened just last year, and within a year, another T20 World Cup is taking place, as opposed to the regular system of having World Cup once in every 4 years.

The highlight of this World Cup, at least for me is Afghanistan. Today it played its first match, and that too, against India (Test no.1 and One Day No. 2 in ICC rankings) What delighted me the most was the fact that the players had been picked up from the refugee camps in Afghanistan by Pakistan born coach Kabir Khan, who has groomed them into professional cricketers.

And it does not end here, Afghanistan deservedly qualified for the World Cup by beating teams such as Ireland and UAE. I know, if you consider it from perspective of high ranked cricket playing nations like India, Australia, South Africa etc., beating Ireland and UAE is hardly an issue, but well, consider this scenario: A team which has never played a cricket match comes and beats 2 teams which have been playing since over almost 20 years now. [Ireland 17, and UAE 21!]

In its first match in the World Cup T20 2010, against India, Afghanistan put up a respectable 115 on the score board, and played for whole 20 overs. Even though they lost, they took 3 wickets. It boosted their morale I think, and that is what matters for them, who come from a country where a person is not even sure whether he will live for a day or more. They are the only hope for reforming a war torn country.

I hope they make something out of this.

God bless them.