Ariana Television Network (ATN) has secured the rights to broadcast Afghanistan Cricket Board’s new one-day domestic event called Green Afghanistan One Day Cup which kicks off on Sunday morning.

ACB unveiled plans for the new tournament recently and said three teams will participate. The tournament starts Sunday, May 8, and will be held in Khost Province.

Ariana Television will broadcast all matches live, starting Sunday at 8.30am local time when Pamir Legends and Maiwand Defenders meet.

The three teams are Maiwand Defenders, Pamir Legends and Hindukush Strikers.

The names derive from regions in the country, with Maiwand being an area in Kandahar province that holds significant historical value while Pamir and Hindukush are two of the highest mountain peaks in Afghanistan.

The tournament will be played in a one-day format and a total of seven games will be played across 12 days. The three teams will play each other twice with the final scheduled for May 20.

According to the ACB, the players will include all available national team members as well as rising stars who are part of youth cricket development programs.

The aim of this is to help national team players prepare for upcoming international matches but also to hone the skills of young cricketers and expose them to experienced national team players.

ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf said this is in keeping with the board’s efforts to further develop cricket in Afghanistan.

“Our nation loves the game of cricket and we are trying to further develop the game in the country. The tournament will see a greater involvement of senior players with the junior-level players, which helps in the overall skill building of the players as well as contributes to the elevation of the game in the region, I urge the fans to come and watch these games in the stadium”.

“We have an eye on our Super League games in the coming months, so this tournament will add more match-time preparation for our players going forward to their international assignments,” he said.

Naseeb Khan, the ACB’s CEO said the name Green Afghanistan was chosen so as to portray the natural beauty of the country.

“We expect the fans in Khost and the contiguous provinces to enjoy the Eid festival in the stadium as the national heroes bring happiness and joy to the region,” he said.

The ACB also stated that this new event will bring more diversity to the structure of cricket in the country and will help enhance the quality of the game among young Afghan players.

The match schedule is as follows:

Pamir Legends vs Maiwand Defenders: Sunday May 8 from 9am
Maiwand Defenders vs Hindukush Strikers: Tuesday May 10 from 9am
Hindukush Strikers vs Pamir Legends: Thursday May 12 from 9am
Pamir Legends vs Maiwand Defenders: Saturday May 14 from 9am
Maiwand Defenders vs Hindukush Strikers: Monday May 16 from 9am
Hindukush Strikers vs Pamir Legends: Wednesday May 18 from 9am

The final between the two top-scoring teams will take place on Friday May 20 from 9am.