Afghans seek Miandad help

Pakistan great Javed Miandad said Friday that Afghanistan had invited him to help further the country's high-flying cricket team's bid for a World Cup debut.
War-ravaged Afghanistan defied all the odds to chalk up a rapid rise in world cricket, booking their place in April's qualifying tournament in South Africa -- the last qualifying event for the 2011 World Cup.
India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh will jointly host the event.
"I have been approached... and since I greatly appreciate their rise in international cricket, I will definitely go there and help them get a place in the World Cup," Miandad told AFP.
Afghanistan won the International Cricket Council (ICC) World League Division Three in Buenos Aires, Argentina last month and alongside Uganda qualified for the last stage of World Cup qualification.
In April's qualifier, Afghanistan and Uganda will join Bermuda, Canada, Denmark, Ireland, Kenya, Namibia, the Netherlands, Oman, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates to battle their way into four slots at the World Cup.
"Pakistan has always supported Afghanistan. Their team practised in Lahore before they went to Argentina and as a Pakistan cricket official I did what I could do to help them," said Miandad.
The former master batsman resigned as director general of the Pakistan Cricket Board late last month.
Cricket-mad Pakistan has spearheaded efforts to help neighbouring Afghanistan develop the sport, providing them with equipment and opportunities to participate in events.
Most of Afghanistan's players learnt the game in Pakistan as refugees.
The ICC made Afghanistan an affiliate member in 2002.
Miandad, who will tour China as cricket ambassador next month, expressed the hope that new countries would continue to widen the sport's reach.
"China, Malaysia, Afghanistan, Hong Kong and Nepal are a few countries who can make big-time cricket, so as a former player I have a duty to help them and I am ready to do that," he said.