Youth tri-series featuring Afghanistan, Pakistan, UAE proposed by ACB at ICC AGM

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has revealed that they are currently exploring the possibility of organizing a Youth Tri-series featuring teams from Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

With the proposal of the Youth Tri-series, the ACB aims to bolster youth cricket in the region, and it was one of the key topics of discussion at the ICC’s annual board meeting held this week in Colombo.

ACB proposes Youth Tri-Series featuring Pakistan and UAE in ICC meeting

The ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf and CEO Naseeb Khan engaged in fruitful discussions with representatives from Cricket South Africa (CSA), New Zealand Cricket (NZC), and Cricket West Indies (CWI) during the ICC’s annual meeting in Sri Lanka.

SHORTS

View More

Your daily dose of cricket!

Loading...

These discussions primarily focused on arranging potential white-ball series in the lead-up to the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 in Pakistan. Coming to the proposed Youth Tri-Series, idea would see the emerging cricketers from Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the UAE competing against each other, and it is expected to be a significant event on the cricketing calendar.

The ACB stated that the specific dates and venues are yet to be finalized for the Youth Tri-Series. In addition to the Tri-Series, the ACB is also considering A-team tours to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe to provide ample opportunities for young talent to gain international experience and exposure.

The ACB said in an official press release: “Afghanistan Cricket Board’s Chairman, Mr Mirwais Ashraf, and CEO, Mr Naseeb Khan, attended the ICC Board Meeting which was held this week in Sri Lanka and was attended by representatives from other member countries. During the meeting, ACB's leadership presented recent achievements, activities, and future plans for the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

They also held discussions with representatives from Cricket South Africa, Cricket New Zealand, and Cricket West Indies about potential white-ball bilateral cricket ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025. The discussions also included A team tours to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe, and the possibility of a Youth Tri-Series against Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates, with the dates and venues to be confirmed.”

The ICC and cricket boards praise Afghanistan's performance in the T20 World Cup 2024

Meanwhile, the ICC and other cricket boards’ representatives have lauded the ACB and the Afghanistan cricket team for their remarkable performances in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Under the captaincy of Rashid Khan, Afghanistan attracted global attention with its remarkable campaign.

The Afghanistan team advanced to the semi-finals of an ICC event for the first time while recording historic victories over giant teams like Australia and New Zealand in the super-8 and group stages of the recent T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and Caribbean.

However, Afghanistan fell to South Africa in the semi-final, but their aggressive and fearless style throughout the tournament earned praise across the world. Their performance not only highlighted their development but also displayed their potential to compete with the best in the world.

The press release added, “The ICC leadership and meeting participants praised ACB and AfghanAtalan’s recent accomplishments in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 and highlighted the team's remarkable performances and their significant contribution to entertaining fans around the world and the development of cricket in Afghanistan.”