Top ACB, BCCI officials meet; discuss development of cricket in Afghanistan

Syed Zafar Mehdi

The top officials of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) held a meeting with Anurag Thakur, the secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) this week.

According to a statement issued by the ACB, the discussions revolved around the development of cricket in Afghanistan.

Nasimullah Danish, the chairman of ACB, said the board is committed to developing cricket in the strife-torn country with the assistance of India.

While Afghanistan is fast emerging as a powerful cricketing giant in this part of the world, Indian cricket board has cemented its position as the powerhouse of world cricket.

Almost 70 percent of the International Cricket Council’s global revenue comes from India.

While Afghanistan is fast emerging as a powerful cricketing giant in this part of the world, Indian cricket board has cemented its position as the powerhouse of world cricket

“We want the support of India to develop cricket in Afghanistan. The support of India will further strengthen the game in Afghanistan,” Mr. Danish said.

Shafiqullah Stanikzai, the chief executive officer of ACB, said the BCCI has welcomed the suggestions proposed by ACB officials and promised to support cricket in Afghanistan.

The details of the discussions, he said, will be made public soon.

It was the first such meeting between the officials of the ACB and BCCI, which shows the growing relationship between the two countries.

In June, ACB had made a request to BCCI to allow Afghan players use the infrastructure in India and have one venue as the Afghan venue.

Mr. Stanikzai, during his brief meeting with Mr. Thakur on the sidelines of the annual general meeting (AGM) of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in Kuala Lumpur in June, formally made the request.

According to sources in the ACB, the two officials discussed the possibility of Afghan players training at BCCI’s state-of-the-art cricket academies and using one venue in India as the Afghan venue.

Mr. Thakur, in response to the ACB’s request, said the Indian board is willing to extend all kinds of help to Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan Cricket Board has requested BCCI that they want to come and play here, use the infrastructure and also to have one venue as the Afghan venue,” Mr. Thakur told media persons in India in June.

“Their board has requested to create one centre in India which can be dedicated to Afghanistan cricket,” he confirmed, adding that the BCCI is “more than happy” to offer any help for the promotion of game in Afghanistan.

Mr. Thakur, who was elected as the honorary secretary of the BCCI in March this year, reaffirmed BCCI’s commitment to help Afghanistan in an interview with Wisden magazine recently.

Nepal’s cricketers are currently using the facility in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. According to sources, Afghan cricketers might be allowed to use the facility in Ferozshah Kotla, New Delhi

He said the Indian cricket board has a bigger role to play in the subcontinent’s cricket.

“The BCCI has a bigger role to play in the subcontinent’s cricket, and through Nepal and Afghanistan, we are starting to do that,” he said.

“If we support them at this hour, they could be two good teams in the coming years and it will help improve the Asian circuit,” he added.

Nepal’s cricketers are currently using the facility in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. According to sources, Afghan cricketers might be allowed to use the facility in Ferozshah Kotla, New Delhi.

(http://www.afghanzariza.com/2015/08/30/top-acb-bcci-officials-meet-discuss-development-of-cricket-in-afghanistan)