I was always a great admirer of the brave Afghan people, and have written several articles about them
King Amanullah of Afghanistan is one of my heroes
I can hardly think of any people who have suffered so much in history as the Afghans. They were invaded by some of the greatest powers on earth–Alexander the Great, the British, the Russians, and the Americans, but never surrendered to anyone.
Afghanistan Has Been Invaded But Never Truly Conquered
And the latest miraculous deed they have performed is defeating England in the 2025 ICC Champions Cricket Tournament in Lahore
Afghanistan was an unknown entity in the cricket world until a few years back, whereas England was the country where cricket originated in the 18th century, and which produced cricket legends like WG Grace, Jack Hobbs, Leonard Hutton, Peter May, Denis Compton, Ian Botham, etc
But like David slaying Goliath, the Afghans have defeated one of the greatest powers in the cricket arena
England knocked out of Champions Trophy by Afghanistan
Afghanistan knock England out of ICC Champions Trophy
Afghanistan eliminates England from Champions Trophy with 8-run win
Who would have ever thought that the underdog Afghans could have pulled off such an amazing feat ? Even the cricket greats like Sachin Tendolkar and Shoaib Akhtar have showerred praises on them
How cricket greats reacted to Afghanistan’s win vs England, ft Sachin Tendulkar
Now the Afghans have to play the mighty Australians in the semi finals.
My earnest wish is that the brave, never say die, Afghans emerge as the World Champions.
If that happens, I will rejoice, just as I rejoiced when Pakistan won the World Cup in 1992 under the captaincy of Imran Khan
Long live the brave indomitable Afghan people !
Justice Markandey Katju is a retired Judge of the Supreme Court of India
