Afghanistan - all the President's men in Queen's territory

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani met the cricketers ahead of their clash against England in Manchester on Tuesday.

Ashraf Ghani interacts with the Afghanstan cricketers in Manchester on Tuesday.

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, who is on an official tour to the UK, visited Manchester on Tuesday to meet the Afghanistan cricketers at their team hotel, ahead of the team’s World Cup fixture against England.

An Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) official revealed that during the meet, President Ghani asked the players to play to their strength. “The President encouraged the players to do well in the remaining matches and they all promised to put up a good show,” the official said.

Later, Ghani also attended the team’s fixture at the Old Trafford along with ACB president Azizullah Fazli.

Coming into the tournament with a lot of expectations, Afghanistan has struggled so far, losing all the four matches it has played. There were also reports of tensions emerging in the dressing room, though the team management rubbished such claims.

On Monday, British Prime Minister Theresa May hosted Ghani in Downing Street and according to a spokesperson, they discussed the upcoming presidential elections in Afghanistan and agreed that it must be credible and transparent.