Shahzad’s story shows that the road to becoming an international cricketer is not always an easy one

From an early age, Afghanistan-born Mohammad Shahzad knew nothing of life beyond the refugee camp his family and he had fled to in Peshawar after the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979.

Being Afghan Pathan by ethnicity, Shahzad watched Pakistan dominate the international cricket scene throughout the 1990s and idolised many of their flamboyant batsmen like opener Saeed Anwar and middle order batsman Javed Miandad, along with former captain and all-rounder Imran Khan.

He would pass his time by playing tape-ball cricket on the lawless streets near the Afghan-Pakistan border with the hopes of someday being able to return to his country of origin and represent them in the sport he grew to love during the majority of time he spent confined in that refugee camp in Pakistan.

No one would have believed Shahzad would go on to become Afghanistan’s star wicketkeeper batsman, where his hard-hitting batting style and aggressive attitude have captured the hearts of millions in the war-torn country and united them as one.

Afghanistan’s cricketing success has become such a big issue in the country that the Taliban even wished the national team good luck during the International Cricket Council (ICC) World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka last September.

Shahzad’s rise to stardom came almost overnight as he smashed back-to-back centuries in his second and third ODI, which came against the Netherlands and Canada.

But, his double century in Afghanistan’s outstanding chase of 494 against Canada in the 2009-10 ICC Intercontinental Cup made him a household name all over the country and it also spread like wildfire amongst the cricketing community, which truly marked the start of Shahzad’s international cricketing career.

His ideology when going out to bat is a simple, yet effective one: “Hit the loose ball and respect the good ball.”

Speaking about his upbringing, Shahzad noted that kids in the refugee camps can either “sleep or play cricket”.

“I had a keen interest in cricket since the age of six or seven,” he told ESPNcricinfo. “In fact, it was the only thing for the youth in those days to do – either we sleep or play cricket.

“It was everything. I slept with thoughts of cricket.”

Shahzad’s love for the game was so strong that he never took off his wicketkeeping gloves, even when he was not playing.

“I remember, I used to go with my captain in the evening every day to set up a match with random teams next to our street, and it was the most exciting moment of the day,” he said. “We bet on a plastic trophy bought with the money collected from the two sides, and winning it was a great motivation at that time. After we won the trophy, we use to go street by street in a group to show people that we had won it.

However, Shahzad recalls that life had been anything but pleasant in the refugee camps.

“Cricket was the only thing I used to enjoy and I was terribly in love with it,” he said. “I grew up watching the likes of Imran Khan and Javed Miandad on land that wasn’t mine. I wished I could be a star for my country, but how could I – that was a million-dollar question for me. The scope of my life was limited, and the journey of my life with cricket was in an unknown direction.”

Despite his love for the game, Shahzad’s parents thought their son could have done well outside of cricket, but the youngster’s heart and “persistence” was too much to topple and soon paid off in ways no one would have dared imagine.

“I wrote ‘Moin’ and ‘Latif’ on the back of my two shirts and used to play cricket pretending I am a superstar,” Shahzad said. “But my parents wanted me to study.

“I had no example of what I would be doing after studies, but in cricket I was following various Pakistani cricketers who are successful, like Imran Khan – he was famous and people talked about him.

“With my persistence, my parents let me go free, to do whatever I was doing. Now after ten years I am representing my own country. I didn’t let them down. They are happy and are supporting me in every part of my life.”

The 25-year-old started representing Afghanistan in 2009 and quickly established himself as a force to be reckoned with, with three centuries to his name.

As of right now, he is also Afghanistan’s highest ODI run scorer, with 743 runs in 21 matches and holds the highest batting average honour as well, which currently stands at 37.15.

His 90.06 strike rate is miles ahead of anyone else in the team, but many people expected it to be this high, especially with the mentality he has when it came to batting.

Shahzad played his first 12 games against various Associate teams, scoring 1059 runs, which included eight half-centuries and two centuries, at a brilliant average of 55.73.

The hard-hitting batsman was even shortlisted for the 2010 ICC Associate Player of the Year award, but came in behind Ryan ten Doeschate of the Netherlands.

While Khan, Latif and Moin may have been Shahzad’s childhood heroes, the 25-year-old has seen a new idol in India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has become one of his closest friends.

“I have been following Dhoni since 2007,” Shahzad said. “I met him for the first time in West Indies in 2010. He was staying on the fourth floor of the hotel and invited me to have tea in his room. It was actually an awkward moment for me – a big superstar serving me tea. I said I would help myself but he insisted and poured the tea for me, saying that he is the host and I am the guest.

“He is a great cricketer, a cool captain and a wonderful person. I always wanted to sit with him, talk to him, discuss cricket. He has talked to me about how to maintain yourself as a cricketer, how to handle the pressure. My helicopter shot is for Dhoni – to acknowledge that I am his big fan.

“I felt so good when he once introduced me to someone as a friend of his. I was flattered. His behaviour and attitude have increased my respect for him.”

Many cricket pundits and players, both current and former, all agree that Shahzad’s outstanding quality of heart and passion has transformed him into the self-made man he is today.

“A lot of work has been done and work is still in progress,” he said. “As far as I am concerned, I think I have developed myself into a cricketer who can play any form of cricket. I have scored ample runs in every form so far, and I’m desperate to climb up to play Test cricket.”

Shahzad also believes it is only a matter of time before the ICC grant Afghanistan Full Member status.

“We guys all have the ability to play at bigger stage,” he added. “We can bowl fast, we can spin, we can bat, and the fitness level of our players is high, thanks to the rough life we spent in the refugee camps.

“But there are some limitations, as we back home are deprived of cricket facilities and are dependent on the other countries at the moment. We have made a perfect unit and we are heading in the right direction. The people of Afghanistan have accepted us; they are supporting us and want us to win, so that the world reads something good about Afghanistan. The time isn’t too far from here in our journey to become the best full cricketing nation.”

Shahzad went on to describe himself as an “emotional guy” on the pitch, but one that can “easily be provoked” as well.

“I am an emotional guy,” he said. “I can easily be provoked. It’s natural, as Pathans usually listen to their heart.

“My coaches talk about my aggression and how to control it. They have pointed out that I should try to learn how to keep my cool. I feel offended if any bowler bowls me a bouncer. I feel like hitting him out of the park.”

During Afghanistan’s last visit to Pakistan, Shahzad got into a heated confrontation with Pakistani all-rounder Shahid Afridi after smashing a huge six off his bowling.

Afridi ended up giving away 29 runs in two overs, thanks largely to Shahzad, who blitzed his way to 58 off 35 balls.

There is a slight hint of swagger in Shahzad’s voice as he reminisces about the event.

“He said something after the six, which didn’t sound good, and I asked him to repeat it,” Shahzad said. “He didn’t, and I hit him for a few more boundaries, and he didn’t return to bowl after his two overs.

“He may be a Pakistani star but I am also a professional cricketer. If he is good with the ball, I am good with the bat. I square off everything right there in the middle.”