UAE to host Afghanistan ‘home’ games for next 5 years, officials confirm

The Afghan cricket team will now play at home in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the next five years. The Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Sunday (November 27) the signing of a five-year agreement that will allow ACB to host international matches in the UAE.

Afghanistan has recently played “home” games in India due to security concerns and has not welcomed visiting teams in previous years. This impression has only grown since the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021.

Due to domestic turmoil, Afghanistan, a full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC), has banned foreign teams from entering. Rashid Khan & Co. will benefit from the latest arrangement as they now have access to top tier venues in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Naseeb Khan, chief executive of ACB, expressed confidence that the agreement will help both teams. Pakistan’s bilateral matches have long been played in the United Arab Emirates as international teams have refused to visit Pakistan due to security concerns.

🚨 Announcement 🚨

nice to share #UAE Cricket & @ACBofficials A five-year agreement has been formalized, welcoming #Afghanistan Cricket to world-class venues in the UAE (home games) plus annual #UAEvAFG T20I Match 🙌

Read more 👉 https://t.co/57GwQhZTzH pic.twitter.com/psH3WEx6o1

— Emirates Cricket Official (@EmiratesCricket) November 27, 2022

3 T20I matches against UAE per year

Under the agreement, the second-tier UAE team will play in an annual three-match T20 series against Test nation Afghanistan.

“The ACB will also play a series of three T20I matches with the UAE national team each year. In return, the ECB will provide the Afghanistan Committee with valuable logistical support, including visa assistance and office space,” the ECB said in a release. Indicated.

Happy to support ACB

ECB Secretary-General Mubashshir Usmani said: “The UAE and the Afghan Cricket Board have a longstanding and friendly relationship and we are delighted to support the ACB in ensuring their cricket has a home. We are also grateful The Afghanistan Cricket Board has agreed to participate in T20 internationals with the UAE team every year. This will provide valuable opportunities for our UAE team and help them develop.”

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