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Not too long ago, a man from Pakistan moved to South Africa only to be with the woman he loved, and there was no stopping him. Until recently, he was at the pinnacle of rankings for bowlers in ICC Rankings for ODIs and T20Is.

Imran Tahirs story is inspirational for those young men who dared to dream big, and Izatullah Dawlatzai is the latest addition in what could be a very exclusive list of cricketers who move to other countries just to be with their betrothed.

Growing up, Dawlatzai was never one of those who were following his national teams progress and dreaming to represent it one day. However, playing tape-ball cricket alongside the likes of the lanky Shapoor Zadran and Dawlat Ahmadzai, a suggestion made by his fellow cricketers to gun for the Afghanistan Under-15 side did not look a bad option for Dawlatzai, reports the official website of Lords.

I said, why not?. They selected me for the under 15 team and my journey began from there, Dawlatzai shared.

READ |Afghanistan to make Lords debut vs MCC XI, featuring Misbah-ul-Haq, Yasir Shah

From tape ball cricket to representing Afghanistan in Under-15 stages and then at the international circuit, the 26-year-old Dawlatzai has perhaps seen it all.

Having relocated from Afghanistan to Germany, the right-arm fast medium bowler is now aiming to play international cricket once again, but for the European country.

I had some family problems. My fiance was living here (Germany). When two people are in a relationship the distance is a problem when you are living too far from each other. She was born here (Germany), but she is Afghan. We couldnt meet a lot so I decided to move here. I was in England for two months. My brother lives there, he told me to stay but I wanted to go back to Germany, he said.

Recently, Dawlatzai played for the touring Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) team in Germany, a country that is witnessing a strong influx of refugees from Afghanistan.

READ | Afghanistan cricket team set for huge honour in Lords debut against MCC

Dawlatzai helped Afghanistan qualify for their maiden appearance in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, and played his last game for the native land shortly before the start of the tournament in Australia and New Zealand.

I think the best moment for me was when we qualified for the 2015 World Cup, which was in Australia and New Zealand. It was so amazing when we qualified. We were in Dubai, we had a match against Kenya when we won that we qualified directly. We were so emotional. I think that was the best thing that ever happened to us, Dawlatzai expressed.

There are so many stories because I have seen everything the entire journey of Afghanistan cricket. Everything changed so quickly.

But one moment that Dawlatzai cannot forget is when he got to play for Afghanistan for the very first time. He said, It was very special for me. When you are representing your country it is a proud moment for anyone. I enjoyed it a lot it was so amazing.

Cricket growing in Germany

People in Afghanistan are crazy about cricket especially when they see our players they just love them. I got so much respect in Afghanistan, people loved us. People in Afghanistan are crazy about cricket especially when they see our players they just love them. I had everything, people loved me so much. Cricket has given me so much. Playing cricket for Afghanistan, (has given me) so many things I dont even deserve. But when you are playing good cricket, people love you, Dawlatzai recalled.

Having settled down in Hamburg with his lady love, Dawlatzai is aiming to play international cricket once again in about two years time.

I cant find regular cricket here (Germany). Its so difficult for me to maintain my fitness and stay in touch with cricket. I think that is the only problem I am facing here, not only me but everyone is facing here. We play once or twice a week and its not enough for a professional player. If you are aiming to play good cricket its not enough, he said.

READ | IPL 2017 auction: Afghanistan players Mohammad Nabi, Rashid Khan make history

I will qualify (to play for the national side) in two years so until then I have to play domestic cricket its the only way to stay in touch with cricket, Dawlatzai added.

For a cricketer who has already tasted success at the international stage, playing cricket in Germany has been a vastly different experience. To begin with, not as many people know you in such parts of the world.

I think a lot of guys know me right now because (at first) they didnt know I was here. Since German Cricket TV uploaded my video everybody (has been) surprised. (They are) like what is he doing here?! When they see me they are so happy and excited, he shared.

Dawlatzai, meanwhile, is also proud of the fact that Afghanistan have been able to develop a strong cricket infrastructure.

READ | Afghan sensation Rashid Khan continues surge after record haul vs West Indies

Cricket in Germany is getting better day by day. I have seen so many players here that are so talented. But you cant compare it to Afghanistan right now. Afghanistan is doing so well. Domestically their cricket board is so good, doing everything very well (and the) national team, are playing brilliantly right now, he explained.

With many Afghan refugees playing cricket in Germany, Dawlatzai feels cricket administrators must look after them.

I have seen that excitement with Afghanistan and I hope it come true with the national team of Germany also. I have seen the (German) national team; many of them came a few years ago. They were refugees and they are playing in the national team right now. A lot of talent came here (to) Germany, I think up to 300,000 refugees especially from Afghanistan. They moved here and if (Germany looks) after them they will get a lot of talent, he said.

A lot of clubs are here. In Germany I think they have 120 something. If (German cricket) look after the clubs they will find good cricketers that can play for Germany. I hope that cricket in Germany increases a lot and they (get) to the stage that many professional teams play. It will me amazing for me because I have seen that excitement with Afghanistan and I hope it come true with the national team of Germany also, he concluded.

Continued here:
From Afghanistan to Germany, Izatullah Dawlatzai's cricket journey gets new life - Hindustan Times

ISLAMABAD: Arshad Khan the famous, blue-eyed chaiwala, who dominated the social media horizon last year is an Afghan national and not native to Pakistan.

The National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) sources told Geo News that Arshad Khan did not possessvalid legal documents to cover his stay in Pakistan.

In an attempt to get Arshad Khan's version, Geo.tv reached out to his team and were directed tohissocial media pagewith theclaim that NADRA wasmisreporting the facts.

Rightly so, Arshad's Facebook page did have pictures of him receiving his Computerized National Identity Card (CNIC) at the NADRA Headquarters in Islamabad.

Upon first inspection, it appeared that NADRA had in fact made a mistake. Here was Ashraf Khan receiving his CNIC from a NADRAofficial at the NADRA HQ on June 15, almost a month ago.

Could NADRA have made a mistake and incorrectly tarnished the image of Pakistan's blue-eyed boy?

Unfortunately for Arshad Khan's fangirls, NADRA has not erred, at least that is what they claim.

After the discrepancy was noticed, Geo News' investigation team in Islamabad got to work. What it found out will break hearts across Pakistan and the world.

After Arshad was discovered courtesy of Jiah Alis photograph of him during a photo-walk scores of modelling and film offers piled up for the chaiwala.

As per NADRA, after becoming a celebrity, Arshad applied for a Pakistani CNIC using fraudulent documents, which he received in June this year.He went a step further and applied for a Pakistani passport as well.

It was during scrutiny of Arshad's documents at the passport office that red flags began to show. The passport office staff put his passport on hold. However, using his celebrity status, Arshad managed to put pressure and had his passport issued nonetheless.

What the chaiwala didn't know was that he had caught the attention of NADRA's investigation unit.

Sources told Geo News that Arshad and his family hail from Kandahar in Afghanistan and, in order to acquire Pakistani documents, portrayed themselves as members of the Moosakhel clan.

According to NADRA sources, Arshad Khan portrayed himself to be the only child born from Baaz Khan's only marriage toSaran Bibi.

To get the full picture, Geo.tv reached out Arshad Khan, who denied being an Afghan national and claimed his father was born in Sargodha and that his family hailed from Mardan.

Speaking exclusively to Geo.tv, Arshad claimed his father migrated to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in 1984 and worked there for 13 years before returning to Pakistan.

He maintained that he resides on the outskirts of Islamabad along with his family and was very much a Pakistani national.

Interestingly, after repeated requests to furnish any proof of his claims, Arshad did not provide any documents to corroborate his story.

Moments after Geo.tv first reached out to Arshad's camp, the pictures of him receiving his CNIC at the NADRA headquarters in Islamabad were deleted from his Facebook page.

Arshad Khan's manager, Malik Faheem, claimed that he found the NADRA claim shocking. He made it clear that he did not know Arshad prior to the chaiwala becoming a celebrity.

Malik further noted that before he entered into a relationship as Arshad's manager, he had sought his identification documents and that he had furnished his father's identity card.

Geo.tv repeatedly asked Ashraf's manager to furnish copies of the documents he claimed to have seen; however, they were not shared till the filing of this report.

Arshad Khan is the son of Baaz Khan and Saran Bibi, both Afghan refugees holding Afghan Refugee cards according to NADRA.

Saran Bibi is Baaz Khan's second wife, according to NADRA.

During a photo-walkin 2016, Jiah Ali captured a photograph of the Chaiwala which had female admirers swooning in Pakistan and soon across the world.

After catapulting from the Chai stall to appearing on TV shows and being featuredin news reports globally, Arshad even tried his hand at modelling and starred in Muskan Jays song "Beparwai"; the song, however, led to some distress for Khan back home.

Before I was living a poor life, I was working as a labourer. I faced poverty. I spent my whole life in poverty. Now with the grace of Allah, I am honoured and have an opportunity to move forward, Arshad had said earlier.

It appears the man who once had the world swooning, is in the eyes of the law a criminal.

Meanwhile, Afghan Ambassador to Pakistan, Dr. Omar Zakhilwal, confirmed on Twitter that Arshad Khan was indeed an Afghan national.

Asif Bashir Chaudhry is a Senior Correspondent with Geo News in Islamabad;Ovais Jafar is a Multimedia Journalist currently serving as Editor Geo.tv (English).

See more here:
'Chaiwala' Arshad Khan belongs to Afghanistan, says NADRA - Geo News, Pakistan

Not one of us would say that we are on a course to success in Afghanistan, U.S. senator John McCain, an Arizona Republican, told a room full of journalists, U.S. soldiers and diplomatic staff in Kabul on July 4, 2017.

McCain was accompanied by Senators Lindsey Graham, Sheldon Whitehouse, Elizabeth Warren and David Perdue. Together they visited Pakistan, Afghanistan and the United Arab Emirates to assess Americas longest-ever war.

Their conclusions were not optimistic.

With the Taliban, Islamic State, the Haqqani network and other insurgents fast gaining ground, the delegation was unanimous on the need to bolster American forces. Pres. Donald Trump appears likely boost the 8,600-strong U.S. contingent in Afghanistan by as many as 5,000 additional troops in coming months.

The one thing I will tell [Trump] about this visit is that you need to pull all of our troops out because 8,600 will not get the job done or add to their numbers, Graham said, adding that he would also suggest a significant increase in U.S. air power in Afghanistan.

The senatorial delegation did not, however, agree on the long-term U.S. approach to the Afghanistan war. It will probably be a low burning, simmering crisis for many years to come, McCain said.

A Vietnam War veteran and ex-prisoner of war, a visibly frustrated McCain came out strongly against former president Barack Obama for even suggesting a deadline for pulling U.S. troops out of Afghanistan.

I think one of the greatest failures has been when the president of Unites States announced a surge and put a date out for a withdrawal, McCain said. If I were the leader of the Taliban Id say, just hang on. That was one of the least sane actions that I have ever observed. General Eisenhower did not announce the date that Berlin would fall.

Warren, a strong critic of Trump and his administration, insisted that Americans patience for the war would depend on U.S. strategy in the region. We need a strategy in the U.S. that defines our role in Afghanistan, defines our objective and explains how we are going to get from here to there, Warren said.

Despite their varied stance on U.S. policy in the region, all the senator agreed that the absence of a diplomatic surge to accompany a boost in troops has been unnerving.

The Trump administration has failed to fill the diplomatic vacuum it created when it shut down the Office of the Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan in early 2017. Likewise, Trump has failed to appoint new U.S. ambassadors to Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Youre not going to win this war just by more bombing, Graham said. Youre going to win this war by a whole-government approach. Graham said he would urge Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to visit Afghanistan quickly.

The bipartisan delegation entertained no illusions with regard to Trumps erratic diplomacy. Can any of us here guarantee what the presidents going to do? McCain asked. No. But I can tell you that he has got the best minds to tell him what he should do.

The U.S. Defense Department has been playing a role in pushing back at the hollowing role of the State Department since the early months of the administration, Whitehouse observed. I hope that a strong bipartisan message from this delegation will get across that positions need to be filled with experienced, capable people who need to be empowered to make decisions to drive to success.

The delegates also expressed their disapproval of Pakistans own lack of initiative in Afghanistan. McCain shared that in a very candid conversation with leaders in Pakistan, they made it clear that the Haqqani having a safe zone in their country was not acceptable.

We made it very clear that we expect them to help us in cooperating in our struggle, particularly against Haqqani as well as other terrorist organizations.

Graham emphasized the need for a new U.S. approach to Pakistan. I think the president understands that we cannot win the war through kinetic activity towards Pakistan, Graham said. If they dont change their behavior, then maybe we should change our behavior towards them as a nation.

The senators described what winning should look like in Afghanistan. McCain described it as a scenario where government could secure most parts of Afghanistan and call a permanent ceasefire with the Taliban.

Whitehouse, by contrast, pushed a more romantic definition of victoryturning Afghanistan into a tourist destination. Winning to me would mean that children and grandchildren of the Americans who died here in Afghanistan have the chance to come and visit Afghanistan as tourists, just the way they could in Normandy.

Read more from the original source:
In Afghanistan, US Senators Mull Troop Boost, Aerial Bombing and Peace - War Is Boring

A star-studded MCC team welcome Afghanistan to Lords on Tuesday 11 July for a historic 50-over match that will be streamed live.

Captained by former New Zealand batsman Brendon McCullum, MCCs side also features Pakistan duo Misbah ul-Haq and Yasir Shah, as well as, ex-West Indies batsman Shivnarine Chanderpaul.

Warwickshire batsman Sam Hain is a new addition in MCCs team, replacing the injured Kumar Sangakkara.

21-year-old Hain averaged 65.14 In the Bears Royal London One-Day Cup campaign, scoring 456 runs, including two centuries.

He will face an Afghanistan side appearing at the Home of Cricket for the very first time in their history, with the match to be streamed live on the Lords Facebook and YouTube channels.

MCCs side also contains England all-rounder Samit Patel and former wicket-keeper Chris Read, both of whom recently tasted victory at Lords when when they lifted the Royal London One-Day Cup with Nottinghamshire.

The full MCC team to face Afghanistan can be found here.

MCC: Misbah ul-Haq

The fixture will give spectators perhaps their final opportunity to see Misbah in action following his retirement from international duty with Pakistan in May.

The former Pakistan captain finished his career with 5,222 Test runs to his name at an average of 46.62 with a further 5,122 runs in One-Day Internationals.

The 43-year-old batsman has fond memories of Lords, having hit 114 last year for Pakistan against England in their Test victory at the Home of Cricket.

Afghanistan: Rashid Khan

The 18-year-old is one of the brightest prospects in the game, having already taken 63 wickets in 28 One-Day Internationals for Afghanistan.

The right-arm leg-break bowler was bought by Sunrisers Hyderabad for the 2017 Indian Premier League and finished the tournament as the sixth-highest wicket-taker with 17 wickets from 14 matches.

Khan also took seven wickets for just 18 runs against the West Indies in March, guiding his country to a 63-run victory.

Tickets for the match are priced at 20 for Adults, 10 for Over 65s & 5 for Under 16s.

They will be on sale from 9:30am at the North Gate and Grace Gate on the day of the match.

Cash payment is preferred.

The match will be streamed on http://www.lords.org, as well as the Lords Facebook and YouTube accounts.

Follow @homeofcricket on social media to keep up-to-date with all the latest news, including behind-the-scenes features, player interviews and much more.

Excerpt from:
MCC v Afghanistan - Match Preview - Lord's

The mystery surrounding a lost teddy bear has been solved.

Earlier this month, the Fields family of Indiana found the bear at a garage sale. They were surprised to hear it contained a recorded message to a child from a soldier in Afghanistan.

As a military family themselves, the Fields made it their mission to find the bears original owners. They posted the bears picture on Facebook and the story went viral.

Paige Holguin saw the posting from her office in Los Angeles. She recognized the bear as the one her late brother gave her niece more than eight years ago. He was a veteran who battled PTSD and lost the bear when he was evicted from an apartment.

The bear has even more meaning to Holguin because her brother later lost his battle with his illness and took his own life.

If you could see my hands, youd know theyre shaking, said Holguin. I thought, Oh My God, I thought that was lost years ago. To find out its in Indiana? Who knew?

Read more from FOX 59.

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Owner of teddy bear with recording of soldier deployed in Afghanistan found in California - Fox News