Documentary: Afghan Cricket Club – Out of the Ashes

Documentary title Afghan Cricket Club – Out of the Ashes
What’s it about
A sporting moment-in-time as Afghanistan create a national cricket team from scratch and then try to qualify for the Twenty20 Cricket World Cup for the first time.
Type
Feature-length TV documentary (free)
Length
1hr 25mins
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This true story of the team’s journey from learning the game on the dusty plains of their homeland to the first match in the green pastures of Jersey is an inspiring story of a repressed people fighting against the odds to achieve a dream for themselves, their community and their country.

The kiddy-delight in seeing the sea for the first time, the discomfort of cultures colliding as the team stroll down a UK high street, and the ultimate against-all-odds storytelling of the documentary makers create a truly compelling sporting tale.

‘Do you think there’s any donkey meat in this?’ an Afghan cricketer asks his equally bemused team-mate as they approach a buffet at a World T20 qualifying tournament in the Channel Islands.

Tracing the origins of a sporting moment-in-time, this film deserves a place in the annals of the history of all sport. I loved it.

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Author: Jo Gunston

Freelance sportswriter Jo Gunston works for the likes of Olympics.com and also publishes additional content at sportsliberated.com. A favourite personal sporting moment for the former elite gymnast was performing as a 'dancer' in the London 2012 opening ceremony.

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