Big bomb blast hits Kabul ground
Until Jones approached him, Hollioake, 46, did not even know there was a Twenty20 league in Afghanistan. Now he is in the thick of it. “The passion of these people is unrivalled anywhere I have been,” he said. “They are fanatical about their cricket. There is nothing worse than apathy and these people feel strongly about whatever it is they do.
“Sometimes that can be intimidating for people from other parts of the world who are not like that but I find it fascinating and exciting.
“I have been to Pakistan, India and Port Morseby [Papua New Guinea] and I have faced all sorts of different challenges, so I was keen to come here for a number of reasons. One, to see the place but, secondly, to broaden my coaching knowledge.
“I would be lying if I said it had not been interesting. It is a passionate place. It probably mirrors my personality. There is not much middle ground with me and I am comfortable with the ups and downs here. I wanted experience in coaching but the idea was to have life experiences, too.”
The star of the league is Rashid Khan, 18, who is one of the world’s leading leg-spinners. Hollioake describes him as “world class” and thinks there is enough talent in Afghanistan to compete on the world stage. “When these guys make their international debut, they will be a tough side to beat.”
Hollioake’s team have reached the knockout stages that start tomorrow and the country is expected to come to a standstill for Friday’s final.
Hollioake may have found his purpose. “My fighting is over. I want to help other people compete instead,” he said. Kabul is a fitting place to do just that.