Damon Mcknight
The Afghanistan men's national cricket team has a busy schedule for the rest of 2024, with several matches lined up in the ICC Men's T20 World Cup. The team will play their 5th match of the tournament on June 4, followed by their 14th match on June 8, 29th match on June 14, and 40th match on June 18. The Afghanistan cricket team has been enjoying success in international cricket since the early 21st century and became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001. They gained ODI status in 2011 and were granted full ICC membership and Test status in 2017.
What You'll Learn
Afghanistan Cricket Team 2024 Schedule
The Afghanistan cricket team has a busy schedule in 2024, with matches taking place across the globe. Here is a breakdown of their upcoming fixtures:
Early 2024 Fixtures
In early 2024, the Afghanistan cricket team toured Sri Lanka and the United Arab Emirates for a series of matches. They played a mix of Test, ODI, and T20I games, facing off against the United Arab Emirates, India, and Sri Lanka.
June 2024 Fixtures
On June 4, Afghanistan will face Uganda in Guyana as part of their ongoing cricket season. On June 8, they will take on New Zealand, also in Guyana. June 14 sees them play Papua New Guinea at the Brian Lara Cricket Academy in Trinidad and Tobago.
T20 World Cup 2024
Afghanistan has also announced its squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup, which is scheduled to take place in June 2024. The squad includes several young players and is led by the talented Rashid Khan. Their fixtures for the tournament are as follows:
- June 3, 2024: 5th Match, Group C (N), Providence, ICC Men's T20 World Cup
- June 7, 2024: 14th Match, Group C (N), Providence, ICC Men's T20 World Cup
- June 13, 2024: 29th Match, Group C (N), Tarouba, ICC Men's T20 World Cup
- June 17, 2024: 40th Match, Group C (N), Gros Islet, ICC Men's T20 World Cup
Future Tours Programme (FTP)
The International Cricket Council (ICC) has scheduled several matches for Afghanistan as part of its Future Tours Programme (FTP) for the 2023-2024 season. Here are the upcoming tours involving Afghanistan:
- Ireland Tour of Afghanistan
- Bangladesh Tour of Afghanistan
- Australia Tour of Afghanistan
- New Zealand Tour of Afghanistan
- Afghanistan Tour of Zimbabwe
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Afghanistan vs Ireland
Afghanistan and Ireland have faced each other in several cricket matches in the past few years. In March 2024, the two teams played a series of matches in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). This included three One Day Internationals (ODIs) and three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is). Afghanistan won the first ODI by 35 runs, the second ODI was abandoned without a ball being bowled, and Afghanistan won the third ODI by 117 runs. In the T20I series, Ireland won the first match by 38 runs, Afghanistan won the second by 10 runs, and Afghanistan won the third by 57 runs.
In February 2024, Afghanistan and Ireland played a single Test match in Abu Dhabi, which Ireland won by 6 wickets. This was Ireland's first-ever Test win.
Prior to these matches, Afghanistan and Ireland last faced each other in 2019 for a T20I match in Dehradun, India, which Afghanistan won by 84 runs.
Looking ahead, Afghanistan and Ireland are scheduled to play against each other in the 2024 ICC Men's T20 World Cup in matches taking place in Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, and St Lucia.
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Afghanistan's 2023 Cricket World Cup
On 23 October 2023, Afghanistan beat Pakistan by eight wickets in Chennai, India, to seal their first-ever ODI win against their rivals. Afghanistan's openers, Ibrahim Zadran (87) and Rahmanullah Gurbaz (65), set the tone with a blistering 130-run opening stand. This was followed by an unbeaten 96-run partnership between Rahmat Shah (77 not out) and captain Hashmatullah Shahidi (48 not out), which led Afghanistan to their target of 283 with an over to spare.
This win, Afghanistan's second of the tournament, came on the back of their historic victory over England, whom they had beaten earlier in the World Cup. Afghanistan's spin-heavy attack proved too much for England, with their bowlers ably supported by some excellent fielding. This win was a huge upset, as Afghanistan, ranked ninth, beat the defending champions, England, and sent them to the bottom of the points table.
Afghanistan's victories over Pakistan and England were only their third and fourth wins in Cricket World Cup history, with their previous wins coming against Scotland in 2015 and England earlier in the 2023 tournament. These wins kept Afghanistan's slim hopes alive, as they moved into sixth place, with four points from as many games.
The 2023 Cricket World Cup will be remembered as a historic tournament for Afghanistan, as they beat two highly-ranked teams and showed their ability to compete on the world stage.
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Afghanistan's Cricket Stadiums
Afghanistan has several cricket stadiums, including the Kabul International Cricket Stadium, which is the country's first international cricket stadium. It opened in 2011 and can accommodate around 6,000 spectators. The stadium is located in the Chaman-e-Hozori area of Kabul, the country's capital, and it serves as the home ground for the Afghan national cricket team. It features modern facilities, including floodlights, dressing rooms, practice nets, media boxes, and broadcast facilities. The stadium has hosted several international tournaments, including matches of the ICC World Cricket League and the Afghanistan Premier League.
The Kandahar International Cricket Stadium in Kandahar, Afghanistan, is currently under construction. The stadium is being built on 44 acres of land in the heart of Aino Meyna, a new suburb of Kandahar. The land was donated by Mahmood Karzai to the Afghanistan Cricket Board in 2012, and the Government of India approved a grant of $1 million for its construction. It is expected to be one of the leading cricket stadiums in Afghanistan and attract international teams to play in the country.
Other major cricket grounds in Afghanistan include the Ghazi Amanullah International Cricket Stadium in Ghazi Amanullah Town, the Khost Cricket Stadium, the Helmand Cricket Stadium, the Sherzai Cricket Stadium, the Laghman Cricket Stadium, the Paktia Cricket Stadium, the Paktika Cricket Stadium, the Zabul Cricket Stadium, and the Kunar Cricket Ground. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is also constructing more cricket grounds across the country to promote the sport and provide international-standard facilities.
The Afghan national cricket team does not play its home matches inside Afghanistan due to security threats and the lack of international-standard facilities. However, the ACB is working to improve the situation by building new cricket grounds and upgrading existing ones. The Kabul International Cricket Stadium, in particular, has been a target of violence, with a suicide bombing in 2017 and a grenade explosion in 2022, resulting in casualties. Despite these challenges, the ACB remains committed to developing cricket in Afghanistan and fostering a culture of resilience, unity, and passion for the sport.
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Afghanistan's Cricket Kit
Cricket has been played in Afghanistan since the mid-19th century, when it was introduced by British troops. The Afghanistan Cricket Board was formed in 1995, and the team gained full membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2017.
In Test matches, Afghanistan wears cricket whites, with fielders wearing a baggy red cap or red sun hat displaying the ACB logo. In limited-overs cricket, the team wears a predominantly blue kit with splashes of green, red, black, and occasionally yellow. Grey was previously the main colour between 2012 and 2013. Fielders wear a blue baseball-style cap or red sun hat.
For both Test and limited-overs kits, the ACB logo is featured on the left breast, with the main sponsor logo in the centre of the shirt. The secondary sponsor is displayed on the leading sleeve and back of the shirt, with the manufacturer's logo on the non-leading sleeve. For ICC tournaments, the main sponsor logo moves to the leading sleeve.
Previously red, batters' helmets are now blue, with the Afghanistan tricolour flag displayed above the ACB logo.
The current sponsors are Etisalat and Super Cola (previously Monarch Mart and Alokozay Group), and the kit manufacturer is TYKA Sports.
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Frequently asked questions
Afghanistan's next cricket match is on June 4, 2024, against an opponent to be announced, as part of the ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan last played a cricket match on May 13, 2024, against the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The UAE won the match by 7 wickets.
Afghanistan made their World Cup debut in the 2015 Cricket World Cup, with their first match against Bangladesh.
Yes, Afghanistan won their first World Cup match against Scotland on February 26, 2015.
Rashid Khan is a notable player on Afghanistan's national cricket team, known for his exceptional bowling skills.
