Photo Credit: Instagram Photo of @rashid.khan19
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) launched the country’s top T20 league on Monday, featuring several leading national players for the first time since the Taliban’s return. The opening match at Kabul Cricket Stadium saw the Speenghar Tigers face the Band-e-Amir Dragons before a lively crowd. While Rashid Khan, the T20 captain and star spinner, was set to lead the Tigers, he missed the opener due to commitments in international leagues. He and other top players are expected to join later.
The Taliban authorities in Afghanistan have stepped up security at the venue for this year’s Shpageeza Cricket League tournament.
The 2022 season, the first after the Taliban’s return to power, was marred by a bomb blast during a match that killed at least two spectators and injured four others.
ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf emphasized the league’s significance at the opening ceremony.
“This is a big opportunity for the youth to play with their national heroes and stars, they will learn a lot from them and will become experienced because our star players will come to play in the tournament,” he said.
Previously held as a franchise league, this season’s Shpageeza Cricket League will be managed directly by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), with five zonal teams competing from August 12 to 25.
Cricket holds a deep cultural significance in Afghanistan, and the national team’s international successes have provided rare moments of joy in a country enduring four decades of conflict and facing ongoing economic and humanitarian challenges.
