Plenty at stake in cup mismatch
The world's No.1 one-day team containing a collection of multi-millionaires will today take on a group of amateurs earning $1200 a month who represent a country beset by war and turmoil.
The game is closer to a mismatch than a contest and there should not be a shred of doubt about the result.
Australia need the win after a wash-out and tight loss stymied their move up the Pool A ladder and captain Michael Clarke predicted the ferocity and focus that marked their best cricket would be on show at the WACA Ground.
Yet for all the significance of a World Cup encounter, the meeting of two countries who share much common ground after a decade of military conflict carries more weight than a simple cricket match.
And Afghanistan have plenty to play for, even if the scoreboard is not in their favour today.
Assistant coach Peter Anderson, whose memories of the ground may be jaundiced after the untimely broken thumb he received while keeping for Queensland nearly three decades ago cost him a likely Test career, had no doubts about what Afghanistan could achieve today.
"This is a shop front for us," Anderson said.
"We're up against one of the best teams in the world and arguably the best pace attack in the world.
"It's a shot for us, an opportunity to show the cricketing public of the world what talent we have in Afghanistan.
"Our goal is to bat 50 overs and make it very competitive. You never know."
Afghanistan's involvement in the World Cup is remarkable enough, given they have risen through five ICC qualifying levels in seven years.
Their players are the products of refugee camps, their challenges involving dodging bombs as well as bouncers, but their future at the world's premier cricket event remains in doubt.
The ICC is considering a move to reduce the next two World Cups to just 10 teams - down four from this event - with Afghanistan's No.12 ranking placing them at risk of expulsion.
Clarke would not say if he supported the ICC move but provided a clear endorsement of Afghanistan's contribution to world cricket over the past few years.
"I've always been a believer in the more countries that we can get involved in the game of cricket, the better," he said.
"I'm not going to get into the politics of Australia and Afghanistan but it's great for the World Cup to see Afghanistan here and doing really well.
"They've shown the world on this stage that they've got a really good team and they can perform at this level against the best.
"That's great for the game. The more boys and girls playing all around the world, the better for cricket. If we can have kids playing this great game of cricket, I think the game can change a lot."
"… they've got a really good team and they can perform at this level against the best."" *Michael Clarke *on Afghanistan
