New Delhi, Oct 12 (IANS) The Afghanistan Cricket Board is confident of reviving the Afghanistan Premier League, with the board confirming that five parties remain interested in acquiring the two remaining franchise spots in the league.
The APL was first held in 2018 but halted after the inaugural edition, with the second edition being postponed following the ACB scrapping the league’s sanction.
The ACB is confident of reviving the league and that one party from Afghanistan and a few from India and other markets remain interested in acquiring the franchises. The ACB has zeroed in on three owners as they look to hold the league in the UAE, with options of moving the tournament to other locations in future.
In the first edition, Balkh Legends, Kabul Zwanan, Kandahar Knights, Nangarhar Leopards and Paktia Panthers featured, with Balkh Legends winning it.
ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan stated that the ACB is committed to staging the league. “The Afghanistan Cricket Board remains fully committed to delivering the APL as planned. As everyone is aware, the league is being revived after a considerable period, and we have therefore taken a careful and strategic approach to selecting our commercial partner and franchisees,” Naseeb said as quoted by Cricbuzz.
“ACB, together with our commercial partner, is in close communication with these parties, and we are working to finalise the remaining two franchise agreements as soon as possible.
“It is important to highlight that the commercial partners and franchisees are among the most important stakeholders of the league and are expected to remain involved for the long term. Therefore our priority is not simply to fill the remaining positions quickly, but to ensure that we select credible, financially capable and experienced partners who can contribute to the sustainable growth of the APL,” he added.
He added that the draft will take place in the last week of October, with the league set to commence on December 27. “I would like to make it clear that the APL is firmly scheduled for this year with five teams. The player draft is scheduled for the last week of October, and the league will officially commence on 27 December 2026. The response from players has also been very encouraging, with around 1,500 players registered, including a number of top international players from around the world,” Naseeb added.
“A specific committee is currently working on the screening and assessment of registered players in line with the approved criteria. A pool of Afghan coaches has also been assigned and will be presented for the draft in the coming days. The remaining coaching staff and team captains will likewise be selected based on the approved criteria and the requirements of each franchise which will be available for the draft,” he said.
He is also hopeful that the England players would participate in the tournament, despite England not playing a bilateral series against Afghanistan due to the Taliban government’s treatment of women. A report in Cricinfo had earlier stated that the ECB will be granting the No-Objection Certificates to the players to feature in the league.
“ACB highly values its relationship with all our fellow cricket boards, including the England and Wales Cricket Board, and we remain committed to maintaining a positive, respectful and cooperative relationship with them,” Naseeb said.
“Our understanding is that the continued growth of cricket depends on strong cooperation among cricket boards, particularly in facilitating player participation in different forms of cricket, including franchise leagues around the world, subject to the respective boards’ policies, schedules and contractual considerations,” Naseeb said.
“ACB has always supported and facilitated the participation of our players in England, various leagues and competitions, and we look forward to the same spirit of cooperation for the APL. We are confident that this mutual understanding and support will continue to benefit the players, the respective boards and the long-term development of cricket globally,” he added.
–IANS
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