Afghanistan Cricket Board

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is the official group that controls 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, after being an associate member since June 2013 and an affiliate member since 2001. The ACB is also part of the Asian Cricket Council. Cricket has become very popular in Afghanistan, and the ACB helps develop the sport and support players.

History

Cricket in Afghanistan began during the 1800s when British soldiers played the game in Kabul. But cricket didn’t stay popular for long and disappeared for many years.

In the 1990s, cricket grew popular again among Afghan refugees in Pakistan, and the Afghanistan Cricket Federation was created there in 1995. After returning to Afghanistan in 2001, people started playing cricket again, even though it was banned by rulers at the time. Later, the group became part of the International Cricket Council.

The Afghanistan national cricket team earned official status in 2009 after a win against Namibia. They also qualified for a major youth tournament in 2012.

In 2017, Afghanistan became a official Test nation, meaning they could play long-form cricket matches, sharing this achievement with Ireland. They played their first Test match against India in 2018.

Even when new leaders took control in 2021, they told the cricket board to keep running as normal.

Domestic competitions

Afghanistan has several 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.

The country’s cricket structure includes tournaments with different lengths of matches. Players from these tournaments can be chosen for special teams like Afghanistan-A and the under-19 team. These players then 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 does not play its home matches in Afghanistan because of safety concerns and the need for better facilities. Instead, they have played 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 shared that 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 looked into 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 moved up the levels of competition. 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 in (/wiki/2010_World_Twenty20), (/wiki/2012_World_Twenty20), and (/wiki/2014_World_Twenty20), and qualified for the event in (/wiki/2016_World_Twenty20).

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, all 25 players had to leave the country. As of 2024, there are no plans to restart the women's team.