Five parties interested in acquiring remaining APL franchises: ACB
What's the story
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed that five parties are interested in acquiring the remaining two franchises for the upcoming season of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), as per Cricbuzz. The tournament is set to start on December 27. Among these interested parties, one is from Afghanistan while others are from India and other markets. The ACB has already finalized three owners as part of its plan to host a five-team tournament.
Tournament history
Balkh Legends won the inaugural APL
The first edition of the APL was held in the UAE, with Balkh Legends emerging as champions. The league has since been on a hiatus, with several attempts at revival failing.
The second season was postponed after the ACB terminated its sanction and commercial rights agreement with Snixer Sports over unpaid fees.
Despite this, the ACB remains optimistic about reviving the tournament this year.
CEO statement
Naseeb Khan dismisses possibility of postponement
ACB CEO Naseeb Khan has dismissed any possibility of postponing the tournament due to the unavailability of interested parties.
He said, "The Afghanistan Cricket Board remains fully committed to delivering the APL as planned."
He added that they are working closely with their commercial partner to finalize the remaining two franchise agreements as soon as possible.
Selection process
Careful approach in selecting commercial partner and franchisees
Khan emphasized that the board is taking a careful and strategic approach in choosing its commercial partner and franchisees.
He said, "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."
This shows ACB's commitment toward maintaining quality standards for their league.
Upcoming events
Player draft to take place in late October
Khan also confirmed that a player draft is scheduled for late October.
"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," he said.
A committee is currently screening these registered players as per approved criteria.
Afghan coaches have also been assigned and will be presented for the draft in the coming days.