UAE set to be Afghanistan's home of cricket: Key details
What's the story
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) will host Afghanistan's home matches for the next five years. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB) have reportedly signed a five-year agreement for the same. Notably, Afghanistan does not host international cricket due to security concerns and a lack of facilities. The Afghans would now play in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and Sharjah.
Context
Why does this story matter?
Afghanistan has been a "no-go zone" for international teams of late. Security concerns have kept international cricket away from the nation. The situation worsened after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan last year (August 2021). It impacted the visas for Afghanistan-based players. Therefore, the Afghanistan Cricket Board arranged UAE residency visas for nearly 24 players. Yet again, UAE comes to the rescue!
Information
Afghanistan set to host Australia, Pakistan, WI
As per the ICC's Future Tours Programme (FTP), Afghanistan will host Australia, Pakistan, and West Indies in ODIs next year. They will also host Zimbabwe ahead of the 2023 ODI World Cup. The fixtures will be held across Abu Dhabi, Dubai, and Sharjah.
Pact
Afghanistan, UAE to clash in yearly bilateral assignments
As a part of the pact, Afghanistan and UAE will also lock horns in yearly bilateral assignments. "The ACB will also play a series of three T20I matches each year with the UAE national team. In return, the ECB will provide valuable logistic support to the Afghanistan Board, including visa assistance and office space," the ECB said in a release.
Hosts
UAE has hosted several marquee tournaments
Earlier, UAE played host to Pakistan's bilateral games as the latter could not hold any international games due to security reasons. The UAE has also hosted several editions of the Pakistan Super League (PSL). It also held the 2020 Indian Premier League (IPL) edition after the COVID-19 pandemic shifted the tournament out of India. UAE will now be Afghanistan's home of cricket.