ACB Reveals Afghanistan Premier League Start Date; Tournament To Resume After 8 Years

Afghanistan Premier League returns after eight years [Source: ACB]

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the second coming of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL). The second edition of the tournament will be played from December later this year in the UAE, thus making its return to the franchise cricketing calendar after a gap of eight years. 

The UAE also hosted the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League, way back in 2018 with five franchises competing for the elusive title. The five franchises, representing some of Afghanistan’s major cricketing regions, will all be returning for the upcoming second edition. 

Afghanistan Premier League set to start on December 27 in the UAE

The ACB is re-introducing the Afghanistan Premier League to the world, at a time when franchise T20 leagues are expanding across the cricketing calendar. The upcoming second edition of the tournament will be hosted by the UAE later this year, starting from December 27 onwards. 

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As many as five franchises will be competing for the APL title, with each franchise representing a major cricketing region in Afghanistan. The regions are Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Paktia and Nangarhar. Notably, each of the aforementioned five regions also took part in the inaugural APL season way back in October 2018. 

The ACB has now sent out official invitations to potential investors, sports entrepreneurs and commercial partners from around the world to participate in the franchise ownership process. As per the official announcement, the proposals are due by June 30. 

APL a strategic step for Afghan cricket, says ACB chairman

ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf has described the Afghanistan Premier League as a “strategic step forward” for Afghan cricket. The board is aiming to demonstrate Afghan talent to the world through the league, in a bid to attract international investment.

The ACB chairman said “The Afghanistan Premier League is a strategic step forward for Afghan cricket. Through the APL, we aim to establish a sustainable and globally recognized cricket property that showcases Afghan talent, attracts international investment, and contributes to the long-term growth of the game.”

What happened in inaugural Afghanistan Premier League?

The inaugural edition of the Afghanistan Premier League took place in October 2018 in the UAE. Balkh Legends, under the leadership of senior all-rounder Mohammad Nabi, won the APL 2018 title by defeating Rashid Khan’s Kabul Zwanan in the final. 

Chris Gayle struck 56 off just 34 balls in the title clash for the Balkh Legends, while Qais Ahmad won the ‘Player of the Match’ award for his match-winning five-wicket haul. 

Kabul captain Rashid Khan bagged the ‘Player of the Tournament’ for picking up 10 wickets in nine innings, and for scoring 173 runs in eight innings at an average of 34.60 and with a strike rate of nearly 200. 

Notably, the inaugural Afghanistan Premier League attracted several overseas stars like Chris Gayle, Ravi Bopara, Colin Munro, Wayne Parnell, Sohail Tanvir, Luke Ronchi, Brendon McCullum, Paul Stirling, Andre Russell, Ben Cutting, Mohammad Hafeez, Mushfiqur Rahim, Sikandar Raza, Shahid Afridi among others. 

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