Our Sacrifice to promote Cricket in Cyprus.

Following the publishing of an article “Girne win again in the Creditwest North Cyprus Cricket T20 League” on cyprusscene.com, we received a message of thanks and appreciation from Danish Afridi, the Girne team captain and league organiser which we would like to share with our readers who just love their cricket.

Our Sacrifice to promote Cricket in Cyprus.

By Danish Afridi…….

Thank you for supporting and helping us to promote TRNC Cricket.

Last year we came together as a team and played a number of games with teams from both North and South Cyprus and with the support of many people we were able to form a cricket league and then we were most fortunate to be able to win the Creditwest Trophy and we have now started the new season with another win..

Our team Girne or the Kyrenia Kings won the 1st match against Near East University in the Creditwest North Cyprus Cricket T20 and I am very happy that the guys and the replacement captain stuck to my match winning plan, and its  batting, and bowling strategy.

Sadly  I couldn’t play on Sunday the 15th as I had sustained an injury when I played on the 8th February by a ball from a fast bowler that suddenly bounced and I was hit in the face. I was taken to Girne hospital by 2 team members where I had 4 stitches on my right eyebrow and it was found I had 2 fractures in my right eye socket and the doctors kept me in the intensive care unit and I sent my teammates back to the ground  and told them to continue their game and win. I was delighted when teammates came to collect me from Nicosia hospital where I had been transferred with the great news that they had in fact won the match.

It was a big worry to me that I could not play in this crucial match but I was with my team sitting in the pavilion to give them support and keep up their morale and send out batting orders. I had to send out the team with a new captain to play in their first match of the season together but I am very pleased as team captain and league organiser that the guys did play according to my match winning plan and once again they proved themselves as mature and match winning players..

My whole point here is that what I learned  from our leader and fine cricketer, Sir Imran Khan, that in difficult times the whole team will look  to their captain and they want to see if there is any uncertainty in their captain’s face, or through his body language.

In my case they got the confidence when I encouraged them whilst I was in a hospital bed and God gave me a team of players who already had huge confidence and the will and I was successful in making them into a strong team. My team know my ideals and they know I follow in the footsteps of Sir Imran Khan and I am also that close with them and know each player the way I know myself and the whole team know each other very well. And that’s the biggest secret of our success.

Thank you again and also to our league cricket teams and their supporters and helpers.