Afghans itching to play in Pak T20
KARACHI: An Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) official on Monday said that they are looking ahead to send their team to take part in next edition of domestic T20 tournament of Pakistan to help their players gets recognized all around the world.
“Pakistan’s domestic T20 is very popular and we will send our team to participate in that because our players would get to learn a lot. In addition, people would recognize our talent the more we would play televised matches,” ACB’s CEO Nasimullah Danish told ‘The News’ on Monday.
Over the years, Afghanistan has suffered a lot because of a bloody insurgency and the official believe cricket is the best tool to spread peace.
“We want to use cricket as tool for peace and harmony. This is one sport that can help unite our nation because our public is mad about cricket and they get relaxed by watching it,” he added.
The inclusion of Afghanistan team in the tournament would take the number of teams to 14, as those regions who missed out on Super-Eight T20 tourney would be back including Lahore Eagles and Karachi Zebras.
Meanwhile, the PCB is yet to decide the format of the tournament but a well-placed source said that there might two groups of three teams each and two groups four teams.
ACB officials did try to include their team in the recently-concluded tournament but were denied permission by the PCB because their request came pretty late.
Afghanistan’s fast-rising cricket team are likely to feature said Sultan Rana, PCB’s Director of domestic cricket operations.
“We are considering Afghanistan’s option after their request and they are likely to feature in our event in September-October this year and I hope they add to the glamour of the event,” he said.
Afghanistan, who graduated to one-day status in 2009 and played in the World Twenty20 a year later, in May became the first cricketing side to visit Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in March 2009.
Cricket became popular in war-ravaged Afghanistan in the early 2000s when refugees who had learnt the game in camps in Pakistan where they lived after fleeing the Soviet invasion of their country in 1979 returned home.
Pakistan have been at the forefront of helping Afghanistan develop as a cricketing nation, providing them with facilities and equipment.
“I have always believed that Afghanistan’s development among the new Asian cricketing nations has been the best and they will grow further,” said Rana.
“Pakistan’s domestic T20 is very popular and we will send our team to participate in that because our players would get to learn a lot. In addition, people would recognize our talent the more we would play televised matches,” ACB’s CEO Nasimullah Danish told ‘The News’ on Monday.
Over the years, Afghanistan has suffered a lot because of a bloody insurgency and the official believe cricket is the best tool to spread peace.
“We want to use cricket as tool for peace and harmony. This is one sport that can help unite our nation because our public is mad about cricket and they get relaxed by watching it,” he added.
The inclusion of Afghanistan team in the tournament would take the number of teams to 14, as those regions who missed out on Super-Eight T20 tourney would be back including Lahore Eagles and Karachi Zebras.
Meanwhile, the PCB is yet to decide the format of the tournament but a well-placed source said that there might two groups of three teams each and two groups four teams.
ACB officials did try to include their team in the recently-concluded tournament but were denied permission by the PCB because their request came pretty late.
Afghanistan’s fast-rising cricket team are likely to feature said Sultan Rana, PCB’s Director of domestic cricket operations.
“We are considering Afghanistan’s option after their request and they are likely to feature in our event in September-October this year and I hope they add to the glamour of the event,” he said.
Afghanistan, who graduated to one-day status in 2009 and played in the World Twenty20 a year later, in May became the first cricketing side to visit Pakistan since militants attacked the Sri Lankan team in March 2009.
Cricket became popular in war-ravaged Afghanistan in the early 2000s when refugees who had learnt the game in camps in Pakistan where they lived after fleeing the Soviet invasion of their country in 1979 returned home.
Pakistan have been at the forefront of helping Afghanistan develop as a cricketing nation, providing them with facilities and equipment.
“I have always believed that Afghanistan’s development among the new Asian cricketing nations has been the best and they will grow further,” said Rana.
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