Photo Credit: Afghanistan Cricket Board
Afghanistan Cricket Board introduces a new domestic one-day event, called Green Afghanistan One Day Cup. The tournament will be played between three teams, starting May 8 in Khost Province.
The three teams are named Maiwand Defenders, Pamir Legends and Hindukush Strikers with the names being driven from the two of the highest peaks Pamir and Hindukush respectively, whereas the Maiwand is an area in western Kandahar province with historical significance in the country.
The tournament will be played in a one-day format and a total of 7 games will be played across 12 days. All the three teams will face each other twice in the first round followed by a final on May 20.
The three participating teams will feature all the available national-level players competing against each other to prepare for the upcoming international assignments. To promote young cricketers, all the three teams will include some of the best young players who are part of the emerging and development programs of the ACB.
ACB Chairman Mr. Mirwais Ashraf: “Our nation loves the game of cricket and we are trying to further develop the game in the country. The tournament will see a greater involvement of senior players with the junior-level players, which helps in the overall skill building of the players as well as contributes to the elevation of the game in the region, I argue the fans to come and watch these games in the stadium”.
“We have an eye on our Super League games in the coming months, so this tournament will add more match-time preparation for our players going forward to their international assignments”. He added.
Naseeb Khan, the ACB CEO: “The name “Green Afghanistan” is given to the event to further expose the natural beauty of Afghanistan. We expect the fans in Khost and the contiguous provinces to enjoy the Eid festival in the stadium as the national heroes bring happiness and joy to the region”.
The domestic structure of Afghanistan includes a regional List-A event alongside multiple provincial Grade Level one-day competitions, but adding this mega event to the domestic circuit will add more diversity to the structure and will further enhance the quality of the game in the country.
Name of Author: Afghanistan Cricket Board
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is the governing body for cricket in Afghanistan. It joined the ICC in 2001, became an associate member in 2013, and a full member in 2017. The ACB is also part of the Asian Cricket Council.
