The Afghanistan cricket team found themselves in a unique situation in Bridgetown, Barbados, due to the unavailability of halal meat at their hotel. The absence of this essential component in their diet meant that the players had to take matters into their own hands, quite literally donning chef aprons to cook their own meals.
The Afghan cricketers faced a significant challenge upon arriving in this picturesque coastal town for their T20 World Cup Super Eights match against India. Unlike their experience in India during the previous 50-over World Cup, where they enjoyed abundant Indian hospitality, the team had to adapt to a new reality here. Halal meat is available in the Caribbean, but not all hotels and restaurants include it on their menus.
“Halal meat is not available in our hotel. Sometimes we cook on our own or sometimes we go out. In the last World Cup in India, everything was perfect. Halal beef is an issue here,” shared a team member with PTI. “We had it in St. Lucia, but it’s not available at all venues. A friend arranged some for us here, and we had to cook ourselves.”
India defeated Afghanistan by 47 runs at the Kensington Oval on Thursday, marking a strong start to the Super 8 phase. However, the tight scheduling of the Super 8s, which requires teams to play three games in different countries with only a single travel day in between, has posed logistical challenges. The limited air connectivity within these islands makes it even more complicated.
“The Super 8s schedule has impacted our preparations significantly. There is uncertainty over flights and training schedules. We are often informed about them at the last minute. We understand the organizers are doing their best considering the logistical challenges, which are greater in the Caribbean than anywhere else,” another team member noted.
Afghanistan’s next match is against Australia in St. Vincent on Saturday.
Indian Fans Light Up the Caribbean
Despite moving from mainland America to the Caribbean, the support for the Indian cricket team remains strong. While the Kensington Oval was only half-full for the India-Afghanistan clash, most of the spectators sported the Indian team’s blue jerseys. A few New Zealand and Pakistan fans were also present, even though their teams had already been eliminated from the tournament.
The Caribbean’s proximity to the USA and Canada has allowed many expatriate Indians to travel and support their team. Fans from the UK have also made the trans-Atlantic journey to be part of the excitement.
“I came here from Toronto. There was no direct flight, so I went to Miami and then to Barbados. I have tickets for all of India’s games and am hoping to get one for the final here,” shared Paresh, an enthusiastic fan.
Local Caribbean residents are also caught up in the tournament fever. From taxi drivers to hotel front desk managers, everyone is closely following the matches and rooting for the West Indies to clinch a record third title.
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