CHENNAI: Afghanistan might have lost their first two matches and are at the bottom of the points table before the Australia and South Africa game in the 2023 ODI World Cup on Thursday. The two losses, however, are unlikely to deter their fans from turning up in huge numbers to cheer for their team from the stands. And the Afghanistan team is supporting their fans in a unique way. They give their quota of tickets to them.
The fans were there in Dharamsala when Afghanistan were hammered by Bangladesh on October 7. They made their presence felt once against in New Delhi where hosts India routed their team by eight wickets on Wednesday. Standing with their team through thick and thin, the only wish of the fans is the success of their players on the field. Afghanistan players have come up with a novel gesture to pay back their fans. They collect their quota of tickets and distribute them to the fans.
As the Afghan team doesn't play on their home turf, their fans have never had an opportunity to watch them in their backyard. So they prefer travelling with them wherever they play. "The tradition has been there for some time. We have given tickets to the fans in Dubai. We did the same when Afghanistan featured in the 2023 Asia Cup co-hosted by Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The trend continues in the World Cup as well," a team official told this daily.
The players and support staff from every team usually get hospitality tickets, which they distribute to their families and friends. As families of Afghan players are currently not accompanying them, they share their tickets with the fans. "The players normally request me for tickets. We usually get three to five tickets per player/official. Once I provide them with their quota, players put their tickets together for fans. On receiving a request from fans, we keep these tickets in an envelope and leave it at the reception of the team hotel. The fans then collect it from there," he added.
As per the official, around 130 tickets are usually given to the fans. "As far as I remember, around 120 fans came for the Dharamsala match. Usually, 120 normal and 15 hospitality tickets are given to fans and friends."
Afghanistan will play England next in New Delhi on October 15 before shifting their base to Chennai where they will take on New Zealand and Pakistan on October 18 and 23 respectively. Once again the fans are expected to throng the stadium to stand firmly behind their team no matter where they play and hopefully, the players continue with their novel gesture to ensure they receive the needed support from the stands.