The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has decided that it’s time to shift its base from India to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Due to the current political climate in Afghanistan, their cricket team can’t host the nation in their country.
During this time, ACB was assisted by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Afghanistan made India their ‘second home’, hosting matches in Dehradun, Lucknow, and Greater Noida.
Afghanistan’s horror experience in Greater Noida
Things were going fine until last year when Afghanistan hosted New Zealand for a one-off Test at the Greater Noida Stadium. The venue where Afghanistan had played in the past wasn’t adequate to host the event. Due to poor drainage facilities, not a single ball was delivered despite no rain on the first day and sporadic rainfall in the days to follow.
Ibrahim Zadran was injured even before the match started. Damp spots on the ground meant that the match couldn’t start. The ground staff had to cut patches of grass from the practice area to replace these damp spots. But the match couldn’t continue. Fans and sponges were used to dry out the dampness, but nothing worked.
The BCCI wasn’t at fault; it was the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority with whom ACB had made the agreement. But it seems that such an experience had left a sour taste in the mouth. And that’s why ACB has decided to move on from India and make Abu Dhabi their ‘second home’.
UAE: Afghanistan’s New Cricket Home
The ACB has made a deal with the Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub (ADCSH), and for the next 5 years, the UAE will host all the training camps and all Afghanistan A and national age-group matches. It hasn’t been decided yet, but Afghanistan’s men’s national team could be playing all bilateral cricket in the UAE. On this matter, ACB and Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) will convene further.
It won’t be the first time that Afghanistan will play in the UAE. They have played 2 Tests there: against Zimbabwe in March 2021 and against Ireland in February 2024. They have played white-ball cricket against India and the UAE as well in the nation.
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