SOUTHAMPTON: “Smile sir. This is a happy country,” said the cab driver, welcoming a group of tired looking Indians at the Southampton bus station. He is Samiullah, from Afghanistan, one among many from the country playing the same trade in this city in southern England. By rough estimates, the total number of Afghans in England is over a million and in Southampton this figure is about 2000.
‘Happy’ is a significant word. Coming from a land ravaged by war over decades, happiness is something they left their country for. Life has been difficult in a place different in every respect, but they are settling down. Not like the Indians or Pakistanis, who have been here for three generations, they have found their feet here nonetheless. Starting out as workers in offices and shops, they have ventured into other spheres. In Southampton for example, about 50 per cent of cab drivers are Afghans.
Ask them about cricket and you get a mixed response. They are aware that their national team is in town for two World Cup matches, including one against India on Saturday. For some, that’s it. “Rashid Khan? I can’t say who that is,” says Farid Hamdard, from Wardak province, who has been in England for 18 years. “Mostly the younger people from Afghanistan take interest in cricket.”
Iqbal Azizi is another taxi driver. He brings up the side of Afghan settlers here which follows cricket. “Of course I’ll be there for the India match. I can’t say how many, but there will be many like me at the ground. Primarily we are football fans. But there are those who have started following our national cricket team. Some of us even play for the local clubs,” says Iqbal, adding that he spent 40 pounds for a ticket to Saturday’s match. “Life has been good here. We have an opportunity to earn and bring up our children away from the nonstop uncertainty over existence. But then, who likes staying away from his own country,” he says.
Abdul Latif’s family represents best this football and cricket divide among this lot. He owns an Afghan restaurant called Balkh, which has been frequented by players of the Afghanistan cricket team. He has photos with the players. “My elder son is into cricket and plays occasionally. The younger one has no clue. He’s into football,” says Latif, showing a selfie with Afghan cricket captain Gulbadin Naib on his phone. “I don’t know who this is though. I’m not a cricket person.”
Irrespective of how many of them are into cricket, the fact that there will be Afghan supporters at the Hampshire Bowl on Saturday augurs well for a tournament which has seen India fans in thousands, but very few from other countries, barring of course England and Pakistan. For them, it’s not about expecting anything. Rather, it’s a chance to cheer for motherland which they have had to leave. In their own little way, they might end up adding colour to an atmosphere dominated mostly by fans in blue.