Cricket Team Miss Out But Raise Status

LONDON, April 18 (The Times): Despite beating Namibia by 21 runs, the national team has been denied a place at the 2011 World Cup by Kenya and the Netherlands.

The team's adventure came to an end in the final round of matches at the World Cup qualifying tournament in South Africa yesterday. Although the national squad beat Namibia by 21 runs in Krugersdorp, they were denied a place at the 2011 World Cup for coming in the top four as Kenya and the Netherlands, won their final matches to maintain a one-game lead.

Those two will be joined at the World Cup by Ireland and Canada, but Afghanistan got all the plaudits. A side was only formed nationally in 2001, a year after the Taliban lifted a ban on the sport. A year ago, the team was in the fifth division of the World Cricket League with the likes of Vanuatu and Norway.

In this month’s final qualifying event, they beat Ireland, Bermuda and Scotland, who had all played in the 2007 World Cup. Scotland pipped Afghanistan to sixth place on run-rate after they won their final match against the United Arab Emirates by 122 runs. It preserved their status as a one-day international side, a standing now given to the national team for the next four years.