Dwayne Bravo, two-time Men’s T20 World Cup winner, has joined the Afghanistan team as the bowling consultant ahead of the mega event in West Indies and USA next month.

Bravo has been named as the bowling consultant by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) ahead of the Men’s T20 World Cup.

He will link up with the side in their preparation camp.

The Afghanistan team has already reached St. Kitts and Nevis in the Caribbean in preparation for the event.

Dwayne Bravo reflects on a golden international career
Bravo began his international career in 2004, going on to represent the Men in Maroon till 2021.

The former right-arm fast bowling all-rounder featured in 40 Tests, 164 ODIs and 91 T20Is. He scored 6423 international runs and picked up 363 wickets.

The 40-year-old had a prolific career as a T20 player with the West Indies and in franchise cricket.

His 625 scalps are the most in T20 format, with 78 of these wickets coming in T20Is.

A part of West Indies’ T20 World Cup winning squads in 2012 and 2016, Bravo was most recently seen in the role of bowling coach for the Chennai Super Kings franchise in IPL.

Afghanistan are in Group C of the competition along with hosts West Indies, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Uganda. Their opening match is against Uganda in Guyana.

Broadcasting news!

Ariana Television Network (ATN) announced this week that it has secured the rights to broadcast this year’s T20 World Cup in Afghanistan.

News, updates and information on the event will be published regularly on Ariana News website and digital platforms so be sure to stay tuned.

Ariana Television Network (ATN) is thrilled to announce it has secured the exclusive rights to broadcast the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024 live in Afghanistan.

This news will definitely bring joy to Afghans, who have shown their gratitude over the past few months for ATN’s commitment to bringing international sporting events into the homes of fans across the country.

Once again, ATN has worked closely with the ICC to make this possible. Company officials said Thursday they are committed to ensuring people across the country are not deprived of accessing global sporting events.

This World Cup meanwhile is the 9th edition and will be co-hosted by the United States and the Caribbean.

The event will run from June 1 to June 29 and will feature a record number of teams – with 20 different sides represented.

Format

The 20 teams will be separated into four groups of five for the first stage of the event, with each team playing a minimum of four matches against their other group members during that initial group stage.

The top two sides from each group then progress to the Super 8s stage of the event, with the bottom three teams from each group eliminated.

The remaining eight teams are then split into another two groups during the Super 8s phase, with sides to play three matches against their group rivals to determine the semi-finalists.

The semi-finals will be played out between the top two teams from each Super 8s group, with the winners then progressing to the one-off final in Barbados on June 29.

Venues

A total of three venues in the USA and six in the Caribbean will be used during the duration of the tournament, with 16 contests to be held in Lauderhill, Dallas and New York and the blockbuster clash between India and Pakistan scheduled for the new Nassau County International Cricket Stadium in Long Island on 9 June.

Forty-one matches will be played in the Caribbean across six different nations, with semi-finals in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana, before the title decider scheduled to be played in Barbados on 29 June.

Any match that finishes in a tie will see a Super Over be played and if the Super Over is a tie, with subsequent Super Overs played until there is a winner.

There is also additional time available to ensure the completion of all knockout fixtures at the semi-final and final stage of the event.

ATN will broadcast these matches live and exclusively on Ariana Television. News and tournament information will be published regularly, so don’t forget to watch this space for updates.

Ariana Television Network has secured the rights to broadcast FIFA Futsal World Cup 2024, which will take place in Uzbekistan from September 14 to October 16.

As such, futsal fans across Afghanistan will be treated to all matches live and exclusively on Ariana Television.

This is yet another feather in ATN’s broadcasting cap, as the media company strives to bring as many top-rated international sporting events into the homes of its loyal viewers.

Earlier this month, the brand and emblem for this year’s FIFA Futsal World Cup was launched in an exciting milestone moment towards Uzbekistan – the first Central Asian country to host a FIFA tournament.

The tenth edition of the FIFA Futsal World Cup brand and emblem is inspired by the kalampir peppers that flavor cuisine in many traditional Uzbek dishes.

Drawing on the concept of ‘Masters of Speed’, the brand identity reflects the fast-paced, high tempo and dynamic nature of futsal, while the official emblem is shaped like the FIFA Futsal World Cup trophy, with five interpretations of the kalampir peppers forming a ball at the top.

“As the first FIFA tournament to be held in Central Asia, the FIFA Futsal World Cup in Uzbekistan will not only be a landmark moment in futsal, but also one for this incredible region that has so much to offer both teams and fans,” said Jaime Yarza, Director of FIFA Tournaments.

“The striking colors and patterns of the official look capture some of the flavor of what everyone who comes to Uzbekistan will experience during what will be an exciting and exceptional tournament.”

Ravshan Irmatov, Senior Vice President of the Uzbekistan Football Association, added: “The logo of the tournament is made in very bright colors, attractive and modern style. It shows a real oriental and Uzbek flavor. It can also be seen that it reflects the harmony of Uzbekistan’s cultural heritage and historical values.”

The official branding will get a first major public outing on Sunday, May 26, in Samarkand’s resplendent and historic Registan Square when the 24 participating teams will feature in the group-stage draw.

Record five-time winners Brazil, defending champions Portugal, Spain, IR Iran and Argentina make up the top five teams heading into the draw.

It will also include four Central Asian countries for the very first time, with the hosts being joined by freshly crowned Asian champions IR Iran, who collected a 13th continental title at the AFC Futsal Asian Cup in April.

This will be the first time that Tajikistan have participated in a senior FIFA tournament, while Afghanistan will make their first appearance at a FIFA event since their only other previous outing at the Olympic Football Tournaments in 1948.

Meanwhile, the 2024 edition will be Kazakhstan’s third straight appearance at the tournament and their fourth campaign in total, after they took to the global stage for the first time back in 2000.

Three Host Cities, the capital, Tashkent, Andijan in the Fergana Valley and in ancient Silk Road trading center of Bukhara, will stage games as Uzbekistan becomes the fourth AFC member to host the FIFA Futsal World Cup after Hong Kong (1992), Chinese Taipei (2004) and Thailand (2012).

The 24-team line-up for the FIFA Futsal World Cup Uzbekistan 2024 is as follows: Afghanistan, Angola, Argentina, Brazil, Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, France, Guatemala, IR Iran, Kazakhstan, Libya, Morocco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Panama, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain, Tajikistan, Thailand, Ukraine, Uzbekistan and Venezuela.

Meanwhile, futsal fans can watch this space for news and updates, which will be posted to Ariana News and Ariana Television platforms in the run up to the exciting event later this year.