Sport
South Africa to host India and Afghanistan in U19 tri-series later this month
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed Thursday that the Afghanistan national U19 team will participate in a tri-series featuring India and hosts South Africa.
The series is scheduled to be held from December 29, 2023 to January 10, 2024 in Johannesburg before the start of the ICC Men’s U19 Cricket World Cup 2024.
All the matches will be held at the Old Edwardians Cricket Club in Johannesburg, where Afghanistan Future Stars will meet India in the opening match of the series, followed by their 2nd game against South Africa on December 31st.
The series will see all the participating teams competing in a double round-robin format followed by the final between the top two teams on January 10.
ACB’s CEO Naseeb Khan said in a statement that “the series presents a good opportunity for our Future Stars and the other two participating teams to effectively gear up for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024.”
After the completion of the series, Afghanistan U19s, powered by the SuperCola Beverages Manufacturing Company, and two other teams will head for the ICC U19 Men’s Cricket World Cup 2024 where they will start their campaign by playing two warm up games before entering the main draw of the event starting on January 19.
Cricket South Africa’s (CSA) Head of High-Performance Grant van Velden meanwhile said: “CSA would like to extend our gratitude to the cricket boards of India and Afghanistan for their cooperation and commitment to ensuring the tri-series goes ahead.”
“These games are a crucial component of our preparation for the World Cup. They provide our young cricketers with the perfect platform to test their skills against competitive opponents in India and Afghanistan. The series will also serve as a final opportunity for our players to fine-tune their game ahead of the World Cup on home soil.”
The 2024 ICC Under-19 Men’s Cricket World Cup is a 50-overs cricket tournament scheduled to be held in South Africa from January to February next year.
It is scheduled to be the fifteenth edition of the Under-19 Cricket World Cup. India are the defending champions.
Afghanistan’s cricket stars Rashid Khan and Azmatullah Omarzai have maintained their positions at the top of the latest ICC Men’s ODI rankings.
Rashid Khan remains the No. 1 ODI bowler in the world with 714 rating points.
Pakistan’s Abrar Ahmed is second with 675 points, while South Africa’s Keshav Maharaj has moved up to third with 667 points.
New Zealand’s Mitchell Santner is fourth with 644 points, followed by India’s Kuldeep Yadav on 623.
Meanwhile, Azmatullah Omarzai continues to hold the top position in the ICC ODI all-rounder rankings with 337 points, giving Afghanistan two players at No. 1 in different ODI categories. Sikandar Raza of Zimbabwe and Mehidy Hasan Miraz of Bangladesh follow him in the list.
Abu Muslim Farah beat Omar Zawak Herat 4-0 in the 30th match of the sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League, delivering an impressive performance.
The match was played today (Wednesday) at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium.
Samiullah Naderi scored Abu Muslim Farah’s opening goal in the final minutes of the first half.
Abu Muslim Farah continued their attacking play in the second half, with Aman Sardari scoring the team’s second goal in the 69th minute with a spectacular header.
Omid Rajabi and Mirois Ghafouri then added two more goals to complete a 4-0 victory for Abu Muslim Farah.
Amanullah Sardari, captain of Abu Muslim Farah, was named Player of the Match against Omar Zawak Herat.
Abu Muslim Farah will face Ariana Khost in their next match on October 2, while Omar Zawak Herat will take on Istiqlal Kabul on the same day.
The sixth season of the Roshan Afghanistan Champions League is being broadcast live on Ariana Television.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board’s High Performance Center is set to launch a nationwide fast-bowling talent identification program, titled “Afghan Thunder,” across several provinces throughout October.
According to the ACB, the program will begin in Kunduz on October 4, with assessments continuing in Herat, Kandahar, Kabul, Khost, Paktia and Kunar before concluding in Nangarhar on October 27.
The board says eligible participants must be between 19 and 26 years old, at least 180 centimeters tall, hold a valid electronic National ID (e-Tazkira) and be capable of bowling at speeds of at least 140 kilometers per hour.
The assessment schedule is as follows: Kunduz on October 4–5, Herat on October 9–10, Kandahar on October 12, Kabul on October 14–15, Khost on October 19, Paktia on October 21, Kunar on October 25 and Nangarhar on October 27.
The ACB has encouraged eligible players who believe they have the potential to develop into high-level fast bowlers to take part in the Afghan Thunder Fast-Bowling Talent Hunt Program on the designated dates.
The board says the initiative aims to identify promising fast-bowling talent from across Afghanistan and provide talented players with a pathway into the country’s high-performance cricket system.
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