Dubai: Afghanistan’s cricketers have already achieved the unthinkable. Hailing from a war-torn country where it isn’t easy to play the game, their passion for cricket has ushered them into the World Cup. It is this passion and hunger that makes them a dangerous team who can stun anyone on their day.

Most of the Afghanistan team have journeyed from refugee camps to cricket’s biggest stage.

Though it will be their maiden appearance in the 50-over World Cup, they have already played in World Twenty20 and Asia Cup tournaments. Through sterling performances in these events they have won the hearts of many cricket fans already.

They have created fear among full member nations like Zimbabwe and Bangladesh. In the Asia Cup, they beat Bangladesh by 32 runs, and also beat Zimbabwe in two matches in July last year.

So it wouldn’t be a surprise if they manage to pull off victories against Bangladesh and Scotland in their Group A matches.

For all the players, to play in the World Cup was something they didn’t even dare dreaming of as international cricket has never been held in their country for security reasons. But, thanks to the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, they have been able to play against international teams.

What makes them a team to reckon with is their ability to fight against the toughest of odds. And in the World Cup the odds are heavily staked against them which could in turn tempt them to produce their best.

Afghan players love to hit the ball hard and bowl their fastest. They love to play with intensity and enjoy every moment of the match. They know they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

The team is led by Mohammad Nabi, a 29-year-old all-rounder who has been instrumental in Afghanistan’s many impressive victories in recent years. In his One-Day debut against Scotland, he cracked 58 runs to ensure an 89-run victory for his team.

Nabi was born in a refugee camp and took up cricket while living in a camp in Peshawar. His rise to fame is as exciting as his team’s progress. He first caught the eye of former England captain Mike Gatting while scoring a century against the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC), before going on to play for the MCC and later becoming the leading wicket-taker in the World Twenty20 qualifiers in 2010.

Backing Nabi with reservoirs of energy is pacer Hamid Hassan, a 27-year-old who is capable of running through batting line-ups with ease. He is hailed as the most dangerous bowler among associate countries as he can swing the ball both ways, produce lethal yorkers and also bowl reverse swing.

Samiullah Shenwari, the leg-spinning all-rounder is a treat to watch. It was his 81 off 69 balls that helped Afghanistan pull off their win over Bangladesh in the Asia Cup.

Dawlat Zadran, meanwhile, has pace that has even rattled Pakistan, while former captain and veteran Nawroz Mangal is a reliable batsman and can give timely breakthroughs with his off-spin.

Young players like Javed Ahmadi and Gulbadin Naib are full of energy and have already shown their calibre. But the most promising among them is Usman Ghani, an 18-year-old who scored a century against Zimbabwe last year.

It is a team whose rise has been meteoric and they are sure not to rest on their laurels at the World Cup.