During 2000 - 2008 era, when Afghanistan Cricket was trying to establish its board, its cricket team and its presence on the cricketing map, they made sure not to indulge in to politics. No matter how the Karzai govt viewed Pakistan, the ACB stayed neutral.
In return, Afghanistan cricketers were allowed to train in Pakistan, had their players play for Pakistan Custom and Nowshera in the grade 2 and quaid e azam trophy. Were allowed to field a team by the name of Afghan Cheetas in our domestic t20 tournament and were even allowed hosting games with our A team in Pakistan. So much so, ex players from Pakistan like Kabir Khan, Rashid Latif and Inzamam ul Haq were hired as coaches by the Afghans and some of our domestic Pakistani players from Peshawar went on to represent Afghanistan aswell.
But than, post 2016, all this changed. For some weird reason, Afghanistan decided to choose a side and allowed its Cricket Board to make cricketing relations on the basis of their govt politics.
Afghanistan went on to make one of the most controversial decisions of their cricketing history and that was when they decided to choose India as the country host series. They would even further go on and make statements by saying how it was their second home. Ironic, considering how many of them grew up in the Pakistani club circuit.
Now BCCI may had given the Noida stadium to the Afghans to host matches, but the BCCI placed the Afghans on a leash and made sure not to give too much leverage.
This is something that we would see during 2019, when after Afghanistan had burned its bridges with Pakistan cricket board completely, sees the success of PSL in a foreign country, makes a request to BCCI. The ACB makes a request to BCCI that they wanted to host their own T20 tournament in India, thus requesting for stadiums to host, in return BCCI would say no. If that embarrassment was not enough, they further requested if their players could play in the Ranji trophy, to which again BCCI said no.
All these requests were those that PCB would had accepted had ACB remained neutral and maintained its relations with PCB.
ACB has digged a deeper hole now after in 2025 they pulled out of series against Pakistan and let their cricketers make statements that seemed like indirect jibes at Pakistan.
Its sad to see how low ACB has bought itself down and forgotten the board that helped them exist on the cricketing map. Their recent Asia Cup outing in the actual tournament, rising cup and u19 tourny showed all is not good in the Afghanistan cricket camp.
I take no pleasure in seeing the Afghans in this state, and sincerely hope their board comes to it senses, or else it will become another bang/zim type team
In return, Afghanistan cricketers were allowed to train in Pakistan, had their players play for Pakistan Custom and Nowshera in the grade 2 and quaid e azam trophy. Were allowed to field a team by the name of Afghan Cheetas in our domestic t20 tournament and were even allowed hosting games with our A team in Pakistan. So much so, ex players from Pakistan like Kabir Khan, Rashid Latif and Inzamam ul Haq were hired as coaches by the Afghans and some of our domestic Pakistani players from Peshawar went on to represent Afghanistan aswell.
But than, post 2016, all this changed. For some weird reason, Afghanistan decided to choose a side and allowed its Cricket Board to make cricketing relations on the basis of their govt politics.
Afghanistan went on to make one of the most controversial decisions of their cricketing history and that was when they decided to choose India as the country host series. They would even further go on and make statements by saying how it was their second home. Ironic, considering how many of them grew up in the Pakistani club circuit.
Now BCCI may had given the Noida stadium to the Afghans to host matches, but the BCCI placed the Afghans on a leash and made sure not to give too much leverage.
This is something that we would see during 2019, when after Afghanistan had burned its bridges with Pakistan cricket board completely, sees the success of PSL in a foreign country, makes a request to BCCI. The ACB makes a request to BCCI that they wanted to host their own T20 tournament in India, thus requesting for stadiums to host, in return BCCI would say no. If that embarrassment was not enough, they further requested if their players could play in the Ranji trophy, to which again BCCI said no.
All these requests were those that PCB would had accepted had ACB remained neutral and maintained its relations with PCB.
ACB has digged a deeper hole now after in 2025 they pulled out of series against Pakistan and let their cricketers make statements that seemed like indirect jibes at Pakistan.
Its sad to see how low ACB has bought itself down and forgotten the board that helped them exist on the cricketing map. Their recent Asia Cup outing in the actual tournament, rising cup and u19 tourny showed all is not good in the Afghanistan cricket camp.
I take no pleasure in seeing the Afghans in this state, and sincerely hope their board comes to it senses, or else it will become another bang/zim type team
