Cricket in Afghanistan

In the 1990s cricket became popular amongst Afghan refugees in Peshawar/Pakistan where they playing cricket in their settlements and the Afghanistan Cricket Federation was formed there in 1995.

They continued to play cricket on their return to their home country in late 2001 and this was the year when the Afghanistan national cricket team formed and Afghanistan women national team in 2010.

[Women national team]



The Afghan team rapidly rose through the World Cricket League since early 2008 awesomely, this young team participated in the  ICC World Cup Qualifier 2009, 2010 ICC World Cricket League Division One and 2010 ICC World Twenty20 where they played India and South Africa.
Afghanistan national cricket team has the world record that hasn’t lost a 4 days match yet.
The team won the ACC (Asian Cricket Council) Twenty20 Cup in 2007, 2009, and 2011, It played against top ranking teams in the ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2012 and the ICC World Twenty20 2012 where they played India and England and wondered the world/ it was the unbelievable dream of Afghan nation to see their national heroes play against international top ranking cricket teams which became the reality.




Cricket brought Peace, Unity, Respect, Reliance, Pleasure, Humility and Love to Afghanistan and Afghanistan national cricket team to whom the world calls Gold in Ashes!

The following are the major cricket stadiums in Afghanistan:
Ghazi Amanullah Khan International Cricket Stadium in Nangarhar Province
Qandahar International Cricket Stadium in Qandahar (under construction)
Ghazi international Stadium in Kabul
Kabul National Cricket Stadium in Kabul (under construction)

Work on the Sherzai Cricket Stadium in Jalalabad/Nangarhar a city known in Afghanistan for being the “CAPITAL of CRICKET” is continuing.
The government of Afghanistan and Cricket Board was planning to construct standard cricket grounds in all 34 provinces in next five years.
It’s mentionable that the Sharjah Cricket Association Stadium in the UAE named the 'home' ground of Afghanistan by this news the entire world shocked.

By: Hameedullah”Hamid”
Field Officer