Afghan club off to UAE for DPL

KABUL): An Afghan cricket club called ‘Kunduz-Kabul Eagles’ on Wednesday left for the UAE to participate in the Desert Premier League (DPL) beginning this month, officials said.

The twenty-20 event is aimed at providing amateur players with an opportunity to play at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium and battle for a Dh50,000 purse, said a spokesman for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

Farid Hotak said the Afghan side had the board’s support that enabled them to make it to the DPL alongside 32 teams from Pakistan, Sari Lanka, India, Bangladesh, the hosts, and Kuwait.

Backed by the Sharjah Cricket Council, the DPL came to the UAE from India. The Dh50,000 prizemoney is expected to be fought over fiercely.

The ACB’s announcement came after its Nazim Jaar Abdul Rahimzai — in charge of domestic cricket affairs, briefed reporters on the Kunduz-Kabul Eagles’ participation in the DPL.

Flanked by Kunduz cricket official Dr. Noor Alam Farid, Rahimzai said the board and a lawmaker, Sharifullah Kamawal, had extended support to the club that he claimed had talented players from provinces and three cricketers from the under-19 national squad.

Haji Azizullah, the team coach, thanked ACB for its cooperation.

Another ACB official, Noor Alam Farid, said players who were able to give good performances during events at home and abroad, had been included in the Kunduz-Kabul Eagles.

The team is: Nawab Khan (captain), Mehmood Shinwari, Abdul Qadir, Momin Zadran, Pacha Hussain, Fazl Niazi, Zar Jan, Hamim Khan, Shah Mehmood, Abdullah, Yasir, Taj Mohammad, Attaullah, Batin Shah, Mirwais Zazai and Ismail Fahim.

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