Sport

ICC expecting findings of study into women’s cricket in Afghanistan

Published

4 years ago

April 8, 2022

The International Cricket Council (ICC) will receive a report back from its working group into the issue of Afghanistan women’s cricket within the next two days.

Women’s cricket in Afghanistan has faced an uncertain future after the Islamic Emirate took over the country in August last year.

An IEA official’s comment that women would be banned from playing cricket led to calls for Afghanistan to be culled from the 2021 T20 Men’s World Cup and sparked debate over whether their Full Membership should be stripped.

Cricket Australia also postponed last November’s historic men’s Test with Afghanistan over the issue.

But Afghanistan has continued playing international cricket and the ICC has preferred to wait until a working group tasked with investigating the situation provided its findings.

ESPNcricinfo reported that the working group, in its only recommendation, has found 33-year-old Afghanistan all-rounder Mirwais Ashraf’s appointment as chairman to be in compliance with the ACB and ICC constitutions. If accepted by the board then Ashraf will become an ICC board director.

Ashraf replaced Azizullah Fazli who was in charge for just two months.

“There needs to be stability within ACB,” a former ACB official who was interviewed by the working group, told ESPNcricinfo. “The chairman is meant to be in the role for three years. There needs to be clear directions (by the ICC) to the government that the constitution and procedures need to be met.

“I told them (working group) that Afghanistan cricket shouldn’t be sabotaged because of the Taliban’s takeover of the country.”

Development and pathway structures for women’s cricket are part of strict criteria for Full Membership. When Afghanistan received it in 2017, an exemption was invoked on the provison that they take active measures to develop women’s cricket. Before the IEA’s takeover, the ACB had announced central contracts for a pool of women cricketers though they were still some way off fielding a team.

Former ACB Chairman Azizullah Fazli, however, said in October last year that there was officially no ban on women’s sport, especially women’s cricket.

“They (IEA) have no problem with women taking part in sport. We’ve not been asked to stop women from playing cricket. We’ve had a women’s team for 18 years, although it wasn’t a major team, we’re not on that level yet,” Fazli had said.

“There is no way to know if women’s cricket is developing there right now,” an official familiar with the situation said. “The ACB is saying that women are still allowed to play. Indication is that the ACB is trying. Every country has an obligation to develop women’s cricket.”

“Women’s cricket was moving in the right direction prior to the situation changing,” McCollum told ESPNcricinfo. “The priority is to make sure their players are still available and can play. It’s a difficult situation. Afghanistan is complex.”

Ross McCollum, a member of the working group, told ESPNcricinfo that women’s cricket had been “moving in the right direction prior to the situation changing.”

“The priority is to make sure their players are still available and can play. It’s a difficult situation. Afghanistan is complex,” McCollum said.

Related Topics:Cricket featured ICC Sports

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Afghanistan announce under-19 squad for 2026 World Cup

Earlier, the ACB confirmed that the players arrived in Windhoek, Namibia, on Wednesday to begin preparations for the tournament.

Published

22 hours ago

January 9, 2026

Ariana News

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the final squad of the national Under-19 cricket team for the 2026 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup, scheduled to be held in Namibia and Zimbabwe.

Mahboob Taskin has been named captain of the side, which will represent Afghanistan in the global tournament beginning on January 15, 2026.

The main squad comprises Azizullah Khan, Faisal Khan, Usman Khan, Khalid Ahmadzai, Azizullah Miakhil, Abdulaziz Khan, Nazifullah Amiri, Khater Stankzai, Nosrat Nooristani, Wahidullah Zadran, Salam Khan, and Zaidullah Shahzad. Aqil Khan, Faheem, and Izzat Noor have been selected as reserve players.

Earlier, the ACB confirmed that the players arrived in Windhoek, Namibia, on Wednesday to begin preparations for the tournament.

Afghanistan has been placed in Group 4 alongside South Africa, West Indies, and Tanzania. According to the tournament schedule, the Afghan Under-19 team will open its campaign against South Africa on January 16.

The 2026 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup will run from January 15, with matches jointly hosted by Namibia and Zimbabwe. Afghanistan will be aiming to deliver strong performances and further cement its reputation as a competitive force in youth international cricket.

Sport

Afghanistan climbs FIFA rankings ahead of AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026

Afghanistan’s participation in the Asian Cup is being hailed as another milestone for national sport, particularly for futsal, which has emerged as one of the country’s most successful disciplines in recent years. 

Published

2 days ago

January 8, 2026

Ariana News

Afghanistan’s national futsal team continues its remarkable rise on the international stage, climbing the FIFA futsal rankings and earning a place among Asia’s elite ahead of the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026, set to take place in Indonesia from January 27 to February 7 2026.

In the latest FIFA futsal rankings released this month, Afghanistan moved further up the global ladder, reflecting the team’s steady progress, improved performances and growing reputation in international competitions.

The ranking surge highlights years of development and investment in futsal, a sport that has rapidly gained popularity across the country.

The team’s ascent follows a historic breakthrough in 2024, when Afghanistan qualified for the FIFA Futsal World Cup for the first time.

That milestone achievement marked a turning point for Afghan futsal, exposing the squad to top-level international competition and significantly boosting confidence and experience among players and coaching staff.

Building on that momentum, Afghanistan delivered an impressive campaign in the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 qualifiers, held from 20 to 24 September 2025. 

Drawn into a competitive group, the Afghan side produced commanding performances, including a 10–1 victory in their opening match and an emphatic 8–0 win in their final group fixture on September 24, 2025, securing top spot and automatic qualification for the main tournament.

The dominant displays underlined Afghanistan’s attacking strength, tactical discipline and growing maturity on the futsal court. Observers noted that the team showed composure, speed and cohesion, traits that have become hallmarks of Afghanistan’s recent success.

The official draw for the AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 has now been confirmed, with anticipation building ahead of the tournament in Indonesia. Scheduled to run from January 27 to February 7, 2026, the competition will bring together Asia’s strongest futsal nations, offering Afghanistan a major platform to test itself against the continent’s best.

Football officials and fans alike see the tournament as an opportunity not only to compete, but also to further elevate Afghanistan’s standing in Asian and global futsal.

ATN to broadcast AFC Futsal Asian Cup 2026 live and exclusively

Ariana Radio and Television Network (ATN) has confirmed it will broadcast the AFC Futsal Asian Cup Indonesia 2026 live and exclusively on Ariana Television across Afghanistan, ensuring fans nationwide can follow every moment of the tournament.

The exclusive coverage reinforces Ariana Television’s role as the country’s premier destination for major international sporting events.

Fans can stay fully up to date by following Ariana News and Ariana Television across official social media platforms, where match schedules, kick-off times, broadcast dates and the latest updates will be shared regularly.

Viewers are encouraged to follow these pages to ensure they don’t miss a moment of the world-class futsal action being brought to screens across Afghanistan.

Sport

Vietnam and Saudi Arabia off to winning starts at AFC U23 Asian Cup

Fans can stay fully up to date with all live sporting coverage, including the U23 tournament, by following Ariana News and Ariana Television’s official social media platforms, where match schedules, kick-off times, broadcast dates and the latest updates will be shared regularly.

Published

3 days ago

January 7, 2026

Ariana News

Vietnam and Saudi Arabia both opened their AFC U23 Asian Cup Saudi Arabia 2026 campaigns with victories on Tuesday, securing early momentum in the race for the quarter-finals.

Vietnam enjoyed a confident start as first-half goals guided Kim Sang-sik’s side to a 2-0 win over Jordan. The Southeast Asian team asserted themselves early, testing Jordan goalkeeper Abdelrahman Suleiman through long-range efforts from Khuat Van Khang and Pham Minh Phuc.

Their pressure paid dividends in the 15th minute when Nguyen Dinh Bac calmly converted a penalty following a VAR review that penalized Mohammad Taha for handball. Vietnam continued to capitalize on set-pieces and doubled their advantage in the 42nd minute, with Nguyen Hieu Minh left unmarked at the back post to steer home Van Khang’s inswinging corner.

Jordan pushed harder after the break but were unable to break down a disciplined Vietnamese defense, with Vietnam comfortably seeing out the match to take all three points.

In the other encounter, hosts Saudi Arabia edged debutants Kyrgyz Republic 1-0 thanks to a dramatic late goal from Rakan Al Ghamdi. Despite dominating possession and enjoying a numerical advantage after Arsen Sharshenbekov was sent off in the 34th minute, the 2022 champions were repeatedly denied by an inspired performance from Kyrgyz goalkeeper Kurmanbek Nurlanbekov, who even saved Musab Al Juwayr’s penalty in the second half.

With time running out, Saudi Arabia finally found a breakthrough in the 88th minute when Al Juwayr slipped a clever pass to Al Ghamdi, who rifled his shot past Nurlanbekov to seal the victory.

The results leave Vietnam and Saudi Arabia well placed early in the tournament. Saudi Arabia will face Jordan on Friday, while Kyrgyz Republic will look to bounce back against Vietnam in their next fixture.

Viewers are encouraged to follow these pages to ensure they don’t miss a moment of the world-class sporting action being brought to screens across Afghanistan.