DSport to broadcast Afghanistan Premier League

DSport will broadcast the matches of the Afghanistan Premier League cricket tournament in India from October 5-21.

Afghanistan was given the rights to play Test cricket after playing top class international cricket last year, where they debuted against India. Afghanistan stands at the eighth spot in the Twnety20 rankings and has also qualified for the 2019 World Cup which bears testimony to the massive growth of cricket in this country.

With the presence of some highly talented players in Afghanistan like Rashid Khan who tops the table in the Best bowlers category and Mohammad Nabi who is world number two in the All rounder category in the T20 format, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) is all set with this one of its kind league in order to provide a major platform for emerging players to showcase their talent and enter the world of competitive cricket.

There are going to be 23 T20 matches played across a span of 17 days. The Twenty20 franchise based tournament will witness five teams in its inaugural season having over 35 overseas players across 10 nations representing different teams and battling it out to emerge on the top.

The launch of the Afghanistan Premier League will also give a chance to some emerging players to play against and alongside some of the world's best players.

West Indies star Chris Gayle and former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum are excited about playing in the league.

"I have played T20 leagues across the world but I am especially excited to be part of inaugural edition of Afghanistan Cricket League. I can see Afghanistan emerging as a future global cricket power- the young talent that has emerged from the country is indeed impressive. The new league will offer a huge opportunity to the young players of this emerging cricket nation to learn from the best in the world," Gayle said in a statement.

McCullum, added: "I have read reports of how the entire country in Afghanistan was awake following the exploits of Rashid Khan during the IPL. Now, they will get to see so many of their youngsters in action along with the best in the world. Looking forward to the league."

--IANS

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