"In Afghanistan, my life was so dangerous. I am safe here" – Teenage refugees get a new lease of life in the Highlands through Ross County Cricket Club
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After being forced to flee half-way around the world, it is the little sources of comfort that will be clung to.
For a group of refugees from Afghanistan settling in Ross-shire, that little source may well have been an unexpected one too.
Scotland is hardly a giant in the world of cricket, whereas Afghanistan became a full member of the International Cricket Council – allowing them to play test matches against the best nations in the world – in 2017.
However, when a number of Afghan teenagers settled in Alness, Dingwall and Invergordon, they were quickly integrated into Ross County Cricket Club.
"We got contacted by an agency, I think it might have been Barnardo's, saying there was this group of 16 and 17-year-old asylum seekers in Dingwall, Invergordon and Alness," the Castle Leod outfit's secretary and child protection officer, Chris Blake, said.
"We had them along one afternoon and gave them some bats and balls, and they absolutely loved it.
"It's probably the most normal thing they've done in a long time to be fair.
"Cricket is such a big part of life over there, that to come over here and be able to keep playing is the most normal thing after God knows what kind of experiences they've had to end up in Dingwall.
"Everyone at the club is really accepting, and we're just glad to be able to give these guys the opportunity to play cricket.
"Some of them are pretty raw – some aren't ready for matches yet, but a couple of them are – but I gather they have been playing cricket since they could walk because it's a huge way of life over there."
Adapting to new surroundings
For the teenagers, there will be a sense of relief to be out of Afghanistan. That does not mean they are living a life of luxury in the Highlands by any means though.
Initially arriving in London last year, they did not where they would be sent for months on end. Eventually, they were moved up to the north of Scotland, where they have stayed for the last four months or so.
With most of them speaking very little English, there are obvious barriers between them and their brand new communities.
That is where the cricket club can play a role. By helping them make connections, sport can help the youngsters settle in to their new home area.
"They've been left to fend for themselves a wee bit – and they're between 16 and 18 years old, so they're not old," Ross County coach and North of Scotland Development League secretary Renato Belli, who has coordinated much of the teenagers' involvement so far, said.
"They seem to be getting on fine, but it's a shame for them. I think they've seen some bad things.
"I was just saying to my wife the other day, what if that was our kids going to the other side of the world to live? It's a totally different culture.
"I don't know if they have family, but I asked them one day if they wanted to use the internet to phone home and they said no. I feel sorry for them, but they're fine.
"Two of them live in a wee house in Dingwall – they haven't got much, but it's clean and tidy. They fend for themselves, and they get on well.
"They seem to have gone into the community okay, but they're just cricket daft. All they want to do is play cricket.
"Before, the guys were very quiet, they wouldn't say anything. Now they're sledging like everyone else! It's nice to see that they're quite happy."
Safe and sound
If cricket is providing something of a comfort blanket for the youngsters in their new surroundings, it is adding to the re-assurance of simply being in Ross-shire in the first place.
In some ways, they are the lucky ones.
In Afghanistan, the Taliban have severely restricted women's rights and are detaining those who speak out against such measures. There have been a regular stream of public floggings and public executions have returned, and that is without even mentioning terrorist attacks in the country.
Not all who make it out of the country reach safety either. Earlier this week, US-based news organisation CNN reported on over 2000 refugees who remain in the UAE over 18 months after being evacuated from Afghanistan, with no clear path for onward movement available to them.
All of that is to say that the group who have reached Alness, Dingwall and Invergordon know that they have been fortunate – and they appreciate the safety afforded to them in the Highlands.
"It was very difficult coming over here, because I didn't know I was coming to Scotland," one of the refugees, Shakoor Ahmadzai, said.
"I went to London, and they sent me here. I feel so good here, so lucky.
"In Afghanistan, my life was so dangerous. I am safe here, I feel safe here. Now my life is here and not in any other country.
"In Afghanistan I couldn't really go outside of home, but here I come to the cricket ground and it is my home. I like it so much.
"I really liked cricket in Afghanistan, and coming here to the Wednesday practices it is so good. I'm happy.
"Renato has helped me by coming to pick me up and take me to practice, so I am very thankful to him.
"There are so many good bowlers and batsmen. I would really like to play for Scotland. I want to take wickets and be a good bowler."
A win-win situation
While the teenagers will value being able to get out and play cricket, their presence is very much appreciated by Ross County's stalwarts too.
In recent years, teams across the North of Scotland Cricket Association have seen numbers drop off for various reasons – with some teams dropping out of competitions and folding altogether.
Thankfully, there has been renewed interest in the sport over the last year or so, and being able to call on the Afghan youngsters will only help boost numbers.
With that in mind, then, the arrangement is good for the health and future of cricket in the Highlands just as much as it is good for the teens to pick up a bat and ball and spend a few hours playing sport.
"Every club in Nosca is looking for numbers, we're all looking for more players, so it sets an example to other clubs," Blake reasoned.
"If you can make these ties with the Afghan and Pakistani communities, it could solve a lot of your problems with player availability."
Belli added: "We've never had turnouts at practice like that for years.
"One night we had 35 at practice, and we've never had that, never.
"They're all keen, and there were other boys as well because when I went to the mosque, they didn't realise there was cricket here.
"It has helped us connect with the local community too, which is good.
"Shakoor plays in the first team, he's a regular now, and he is a rapid bowler. He is really good.
"The other thing is, they have never played with a hard ball before they got here, but they've taken to it like a duck to water."
