Cash-rich Indian Premier League inspires life in war-ridden Afghanistan
The immense popularity of the Indian Premier League(IPL) has managed to strike even the remote corners of war-torn country of Afghanistan. Ever since the IPL was launched in India in 2008, it has managed to find fans in Pakistan, Bangladesh & Sri Lanka, apart from India, in the sub-continent region.
IPL’s success & popularity has reached to such an extent that the cricket board of Afghanistan had launched its own version of the ‘IPL’, called the Shpageeza(meaning sixer in Pashto), way back in 2013.
Two years into its launch, the league has gained cult-following in the country, despite the ongoing conflict with terrorists. Recalling the formation of the league, Naweed Sayem, who is a senior advisor of the Afghanistan Cricket Board stated that the IPL was responsible for bringing in the cricket craze in the country.
“IPL's so popular that it literally stopped life in Afghanistan. You would find every shopkeeper, school or office goer or anyone in family hooked to it,” Sayem said as reported by IBN Live.
The ‘Sixer’ league was launched with five teams, from different regions in the country. It wasn’t long before the sponsorship too say a boost, which added to the tournament gaining popularity.
According to the Afghanistan cricket CEO, the tournament received TV viewership of about eight million during its second edition, making it the biggest ever sporting event in the nation's history. Apart from IPL, the advent of Bollywood too has been seen in the country over the years.
"Cricket has provided a big boost to Afghanistan's national pride in recent years including our World Cup qualification in Australia. This (cricket league) is unprecedented. Cricket has brought lots of happiness to Afghans. Cricket and Shah Rukh Khan are the two most popular things there," said Sayem
He also added that cricket played a major role in promoting peace and goodwill in the otherwise violent country. "Cricket can bring Afghans together and is a very good toll for peace and stability.”
Ahead of next year’s World Cup, the Afghanistan U-19 team is in India playing a ODI tri-series against India and Bangladesh, which is organised by the BCCI.
"For us it's not just a preparation for the World Cup but it's like a mini Asia Cup with big teams like India and Bangladesh. We're grateful to BCCI for arranging such a tournament," Sayem added.