Uncertainty, stress for Afghan cricketers as Taliban takes over

Some Afghan players are finding it difficult to focus on sport following the Taliban takeover last week.

The crack of a bat on a ball echoes around Kabul’s international stadium as Afghanistan’s top cricketers prepare for their next tour – just days after the Taliban took over the country, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to flee. The calm of the empty stadium is a stark contrast to scenes just a few kilometres north, where tens of thousands of Afghans at Kabul airport are desperately trying to flee on evacuation flights. Since the Taliban fighters’ stunning victory, many of the players on cricket-mad Afghanistan’s beloved national team are finding it difficult to focus on sport.