Cricket is symbol of 'hope for treasure' for Afghan people says India's UN Representative

Afghanistan Cricket team (Image - Google Search)

United Nations, June 27 - Cricket is a symbol of "hope for treasure" in Afghanistan that is now battered by terrorism springing from safe havens in Pakistan, according to India's UN Permanent Representative Syed Akbaruddin.

The immortal lines of the Sufi mystic poet Rumi, "Where there is ruin, there is also hope for treasure", is the source of resilience for the Afghan people, Akbaruddin told the Security Council on Tuesday during a debate on Afghanistan.

He cited the emergence of the Afghan team as "the new sensation in the cricketing arena" as one of the symbols of this hope.

"Leaving behind the memories when sports was explicitly banned by the Taliban in Afghanistan," the nation's team has been "achieving extraordinary success,a he said.

Having qualified for the next Cricket World Cup, Afghanistan played its first game as a Test cricket playing nation in June at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru when it took on India, he said.

"While having made cricket grounds in India their home base, Afghan cricketers have flourished," he said, adding, "However, we look forward to the day when we too can play cricket with them on their soil."

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