UAE to host Afghanistan home matches after agreeing five-year deal

The countries will also face one another in an annual three-match T20I series as part of the arrangement

Nick Friend | 27/11/2022 at 10:40

Afghanistan will use the United Arab Emirates as a base for training and playing their home matches after signing a five-year agreement with the Emirates Cricket Board.

The countries will also face one another in an annual three-match T20I series as part of the deal, while the Afghanistan Cricket Board will benefit from "logistic support… including visa assistance and office space".

Afghanistan's political situation prevents them from staging international matches on home soil, so they have been training and playing in the UAE already. But this partnership firms up that arrangement.

They have previously held similar deals in Pakistan and India. Afghanistan are set to play home series against Australia, Pakistan and West Indies ahead of the next 50-over World Cup.

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^{Afghanistan faced India in Abu Dhabi at the 2021 T20 World Cup (Francois Nel/Getty Images)}

"Both parties, the Emirates Cricket Board and the Afghanistan Cricket Board enjoy long and cordial relations and we are happy to support the ACB in ensuring that they have a home for their cricket," said Mubashir Usmani, general secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board.

"We are also thankful to the Afghanistan Cricket Board for agreeing to play a series of T20I matches against UAE ream each year. This will provide our UAE team with invaluable exposure and help in their development."