Courtesy: Google
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have signed a five-year “destination support agreement” with Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub (ADCSH), to make Abu Dhabi, a city of the UAE, their host for training camps along with matches of the A team and national age-groups. With that, there is a possibility of the ACB working together with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) till 2029, to use the venues in the country for playing bilateral matches of their senior team.
As per the report published in the ESPNcricinfo, the agreement was signed and revealed to the media after the discussions between ACB, ADCSH, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC), wherein they committed to “expanding cricket opportunities for Afghanistan players on the global stage”. As per one of the statements related to the matter, the agreement will also lead to support for the ACB to conduct their global operations along with enhancing the opportunity of player development.
The opportunity to now focus on Abu Dhabi as our training base: ACB Chief Executive
The chief executive of ADCSH, Matt Boucher, spoke about the five-year agreement between them and the ACB, and said, “Our facilities have already welcomed the world's best players, and this agreement strengthens our strong commitment to nurturing global sporting and cricket talent and leveraging its capacity to be a force for societal good. We've loved hosting Afghanistan over the last couple of years and are pleased we can confirm Abu Dhabi as their second home.”
Meanwhile, Naseeb Khan, the chief executive of ACB talked about how their partnership with ADCSH will allow Afghanistan cricket to progress further, especially in regards to the age-groups. After calling it a “turning point” for cricket in the country, he remarked, “The opportunity to now focus on Abu Dhabi as our training base and our home for age-group participation will allow us to elevate Afghanistan's sporting success and build a strong national future for the game of cricket in our country.”
Over the last couple of years, the Afghanistan men’s cricket team have elevated themselves to a new standard in cricket, especially in the ICC tournaments, by reaching the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 apart from performing exceptionally well in the group stages of the Cricket World Cup 2023 and the Champions Trophy 2025.
