The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have announced today that they will play all their home matches for the next five years in Abu Dhabi. The ACB inked the deal with a support agreement with Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub (ADCSH), making Abu Dhabi, UAE their home venue for the next five years.
It is to be noted that due to political turmoil in Afghanistan, ACB cannot host any international games at home, and as a result, they have to rely on other nations to set up a home base. For a brief period of time, Greater Noida, Lucknow, and Dehradun, in India were the home base for the Afghanistan team. They also played a one-off Test match against New Zealand at Greater Noida venue in Uttar Pradesh in 2024, but the game was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to rain.
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Following several discussions between ACB and ADCSH, it was revealed that Abu Dhabi, UAE will be hosting all ACB training camps and all Afghan A and national age-group matches. Also, ACB and Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) will plan to host and facilitate Afghan's use of home venues for conducting men's bilateral matches.
ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan expresses gratitude to Abu Dhabi and the UAE government for continuous support
ACB chief executive Naseen Khan expressed gratitude and lavished praise on Abu Dhabi and UAE governments for unswerving, and continuous support for Afghan cricket.
"Very excited to be entering a fruitful partnership with the ADCSH, which will allow us to utilize all the premium facilities available in this destination for the development of our age-group cricket. Abu Dhabi confirmed as our second home marks another turning point for Afghanistan cricket," said Naseeb in a statement.
"The UAE has been instrumental in providing us with a platform to compete at the highest level, and I would like to thank the Emirates Cricket Board and all the venues for their continued support. 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," he added.
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For the unversed, Afghanistan last played a bilateral white-ball series at their home base in UAE against South Africa in September 2024.
