Afghanistan Cricket Board

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is the group that manages and organizes cricket in Afghanistan. It represents the country in the International Cricket Council (ICC). The ACB became a full member of the ICC in June 2017. Before that, it was an associate member since June 2013 and an affiliate member since 2001. The ACB is also part of the Asian Cricket Council. Cricket is very popular in Afghanistan, and the ACB helps grow the sport and support players.

History

Cricket in Afghanistan began in the 1800s when British soldiers played it in Kabul. But it wasn't popular for a long time and stopped for many years.

In the 1990s, cricket became popular again with Afghan refugees in Pakistan. The Afghanistan Cricket Federation started there in 1995. After coming back to Afghanistan in 2001, people played cricket again, even when it was not allowed by leaders at the time. Later, the group joined the International Cricket Council.

The Afghanistan national cricket team became official in 2009 after winning against Namibia. They also qualified for a big youth tournament in 2012.

In 2017, Afghanistan became an official Test nation, meaning they could play long cricket matches, just like Ireland. They played their first Test match against India in 2018.

Even when new leaders took control in 2021, they asked the cricket board to keep working normally.

Domestic competitions

Afghanistan has many important cricket competitions. These include the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament, Mirwais Nika 3-Day Tournament, Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament, Green Afghanistan One Day Cup, Shpageeza Cricket League, and Qosh Tepa National T20 Cup.

Players from these tournaments can be chosen for special teams like Afghanistan-A and the under-19 team. These players get extra training and coaching, sometimes in other countries like Bangladesh. Afghanistan’s teams also travel to play in places like Pakistan. The main domestic event is a 50-over tournament held in Kabul. Over time, Afghanistan has grown its cricket structure, adding more teams and different types of matches. Today, most of Afghanistan’s provinces have their own cricket teams, with plans to keep growing the sport across the country.

Cricket grounds in Afghanistan

Main article: List of cricket grounds in Afghanistan

The Afghan national cricket team cannot play home matches in Afghanistan because of safety issues and the need for better facilities. So, they play their "home" games in other countries. For example, they played against Ireland in Sri Lanka and against Canada in the UAE.

In October 2010, the head of the Afghanistan Cricket Board said the government planned to build proper cricket grounds in all 34 provinces over the next two years. In January 2021, the Afghanistan Cricket Board also considered using Oman as a possible new place for their international matches.

National team

Main articles: Afghanistan national cricket team and Afghanistan women's national cricket team

The Afghanistan national cricket team plays for Afghanistan in international cricket matches. It was formed in 2001 and quickly improved. The team played in the 2009 World Cup Qualifier after starting in Division Five in May 2008. They compete in the top level of the ACC Trophy.

Afghanistan earned official One Day International status after beating Namibia in 2011. They won their first One Day International match against Scotland. In 2011, the team qualified for the 2012 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup.

Afghanistan played in its first 50-over World Cup in 2015. They played 6 matches, winning just one against Scotland. The team has also played in three T20 World Cups and qualified for another event.

In December 2015, Afghanistan brought in Manoj Prabhakar, a former Indian player, to help improve their bowling.

Afghanistan tried to start a women's national cricket team in 2010, but after the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, the players had to leave the country. As of 2024, there are no plans to restart the women's team.