UAE to host the inaugural edition of Afghanistan Premier League in October

The inaugural edition of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) is set to be held in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) in October later this year. It will be a five-team tournament during which a total of 23 matches will be played to find out the eventual winner. There will be an auction to purchase the teams first after which the players draft will be held. However, it is expected that more than 40 overseas cricket will play in the league which will give it the more international presence.

There were only a few cricketers from other countries in the local Shpageeza Cricket League which took place in Afghanistan last year. Also, the bomb blast near the Kabul International Stadium meant that most of them left the country owing to the security concerns. Staging the APL in the UAE will help them attract more foreign players to the T20 tournament.

ACB chairman delighted

The chairman of Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), Shukrullah Atif Mashal, confirmed the news of APL being held in the UAE later this year in October. He was also delighted with the fact that more than 40 overseas cricketers had agreed to play in the league. “Their presence will raise the quality of the league from the Shpageeza Cricket League that we organise at home. We are thankful to the overseas cricketers for helping Afghanistan Cricket rise to the next level,” he was quoted as saying by Business Standard.

Mashal also thanked the Government for their full support to organise the franchise-based T20 tournament. “We are grateful to our government for its support and encouragement. We believe we can provide our youth the platform to shine and move away from negative influences,” he added. Meanwhile, the Chief Executive of ACB Shafiqullah Asamat Stanikzai said, “cricket “has been a unifying tool, contributing to peace, development and stability in the country and around the globe. The Board aims to make APL T20 among the world’s top three leagues.”

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