Afghans understand importance of being competitive

From war-zone to the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, it has been a fascinating journey for Afghanistan's bravehearts but as they prepare to play India in a warm-up game on Tuesday, they will have to banish sepia-toned images of gun battles and refugee camps, land mines and civil unrest and show the cricketing fraternity that they belong.

And, with a whole nation coming together to track their performance some say with a break in hostilities they know they have to put their best foot forward in cricket's biggest event. They are discovering the trappings of being sports celebrities in a nation that has been crying for peace. A sit-down dinner in Melbourne on Wednesday with locals of Afghan origin will only be a sample.

Coach Andy Moles, an Englishman who has held the reins of the New Zealand team in the past, spent a good part of 10 minutes addressing the Afghan team at the Adelaide Oval nets on Monday, exhorting the players to train their minds on the present rather than think about a dreadful past or an uncertain future.