Afghanistan Cricket History

The Afghanistan Cricket Federation was established in 1995 and granted affiliate membership by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 2001. This marked the beginning of an incredible journey in the history of sports for Afghanistan, followed by achieving associate membership in the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in 2003.

Cricket was not very popular in Afghanistan during the early to mid-2000s. However, a significant loss to Hong Kong in the semi-final of the 2006 ACC Trophy proved to be beneficial for the Afghanistan National Cricket Team, as it ignited a passion and determination for victory among the players. This, in turn, helped grow the sport's fan base across the country and within the Afghan diaspora abroad, particularly among the youth. Afghan cricket began to attract media attention, which further increased coverage of the national team’s progress.

In 2007, after becoming joint champions of the ACC T20 Trophy in Kuwait, the national team returned home to a hero's welcome. They were celebrated by members of society, including government officials, and their victory was acknowledged nationwide. Team members were invited to celebratory events across various provinces, as cricket began to symbolize hope for unity and prosperity in a nation that had experienced over three decades of war. This shift raised public expectations for the national team to perform as a cohesive unit with heightened spirit, thereby capturing the interest of the Afghan government in cricket and the team's achievements.

To further strengthen cricket in Afghanistan, the Afghanistan Cricket Federation submitted a proposal to the President of the country, seeking to elevate its status from a Federation to an independent governing body known as the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). This proposal was approved by the President, who issued a decree on June 2, 2009. The recognition of ACB as an independent governing body enhanced its ability to adopt good governance practices, ensuring key results in terms of accountability, responsibility, transparency, and solidarity.

The support from the government was crucial in starting a new era for cricket development in Afghanistan. The President of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, His Excellency Hamid Karzai, took on the role of Patron-in-Chief of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), while Minister of Finance, Dr. Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, was appointed as the first Chairman of the ACB. The ACB began to establish an organizational structure by recruiting professional staff. It set up its headquarters in Kabul, followed by regional and provincial offices. Thanks to the expertise and commitment of the Finance Minister, the ACB was able to secure financial resources for its daily operations, despite the country facing major challenges and relying heavily on foreign aid and funding from the International Cricket Council (ICC) as an affiliate member.

In 2011, the Afghanistan Cricket Board developed a five-year strategic plan, which was succeeded by another strategic plan that was renewed in 2019. This plan included key areas such as administrative development and reform, cricket development, infrastructure development, and financial sustainability and growth.

Afghanistan's performance in the ICC World Cricket League Division Five, as per its Asian Cricket Council (ACC) ranking, was a result of immense hard work, with the team playing up to 25 matches to qualify for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011. Building their confidence and skills, Afghanistan won Division Five by the narrowest of margins. This was their first ICC tournament, and they went on to go unbeaten in Division Four. They then won Division Three in Argentina and reached the World Cup qualifying round in South Africa in 2009, where they qualified for the Super Eights but missed qualification for the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup by just one position. A significant achievement from this tournament was that Afghanistan gained One Day International (ODI) status and qualified for the ICC Intercontinental Cup (I-Cup) by defeating Namibia.

Afghanistan’s national cricket team achieved a significant milestone by winning the ICC WT20 Qualifying round in the United Arab Emirates in 2010. They won all their group matches, culminating in a victory against Ireland in the final, which was a dominant team among ICC affiliate and associate nations at the time. This success allowed Afghanistan to qualify for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 in the Caribbean, where they made their debut on the global stage. Although the team lost both its first-round matches to India and South Africa, its participation and performance were praised by cricket fans and experts alike.

The Under-19 team also made notable contributions, qualifying for the 2010 ICC Under-19 Cricket World Cup in New Zealand. In 2012, Afghanistan continued its success by qualifying for the men’s ICC World Twenty20 in Sri Lanka, and the Under-19 team participated in the ICC U-19 World Cup in Australia. This year was particularly significant as Afghanistan played its first match against full ICC member Pakistan in Sharjah and also hosted full ICC member Australia in a one-day international (ODI) match, also in Sharjah. In 2013, Afghanistan was granted Associate Membership by the ICC, recognizing the country’s notable progress in various aspects of the game, including developmental efforts carried out by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

In the following years, Afghanistan participated in the 2014 ICC World Twenty20 and secured qualification for the 2015 ICC Cricket World Cup held in New Zealand and Australia. During this tournament, they achieved a historic victory against Scotland, marking their first win in the Cricket World Cup. In 2015, Afghanistan also played its first-ever ODI series against Zimbabwe, leveling the series at 2-2. The Afghanistan U-19 cricket team took part in the 2014 ICC U-19 World Cup in the UAE, where they finished in 7th place, with a standout moment being their victory over Australia in the group stage.

In 2015, Afghanistan was inducted into the ICC Future Tours Program (FTP), which allowed them to play against FTP teams and helped them break into the ICC 12-team ODI ranking. That same year, Afghanistan secured victories against Zimbabwe in both ODI series by 3-2 and 2-0 in T20I series, ranking 10th in the ICC ODI ranking and 9th in the ICC T20I ranking. This marked a historic moment as Afghanistan became the first associate nation to defeat a full member nation in a bilateral series. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) reciprocated by hosting Zimbabwe for the first time in both ODI and T20I series in Sharjah during the 2015/16 season, achieving similar results.

In 2016, Afghanistan participated in its fourth consecutive ICC World Twenty20 in India, where they qualified for the Super 10 stage. Their notable win against the eventual champions, the West Indies, distinguished Afghanistan's participation in the 2016 ICC World Twenty20 from previous tournaments. Additionally, the Afghanistan U-19 team participated in the ICC U-19 World Cup in Bangladesh, emerging as the Plate Champion of the tournament.

On June 22, 2017, Afghanistan was awarded Full Member status during the ICC's Annual General Meeting in London, England. This achievement was a long-standing goal for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and took only four years for Afghanistan to transition from Associate to Full Member status. Additionally, the ICC granted First Class (for four-day matches), List A (one-day matches), and T20 (T20 matches) status to the ACB's three major domestic tournaments. In the same year, the ICC also awarded Test status to Afghanistan, paving the way for the team to play Test matches against Full Member nations in the future.

The years 2023 and 2024 were remarkable for the Afghanistan National Team as they engaged in bilateral series with full member teams such as Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, and South Africa. They achieved stunning series victories, setting historic records against Pakistan in T20Is and against Bangladesh and South Africa in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Furthermore, Afghanistan made headlines by excelling in the 2023 ODI and T20I ICC World Cup events. For the first time, they defeated four teams—England, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and others—in the ODI World Cup, securing a spot among the top eight teams and achieving direct qualification for their inaugural ICC Champions Trophy. Similarly, in the T20I World Cup, Afghanistan triumphed over five teams—Uganda, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Australia, and Bangladesh—making history by reaching the semifinals for the first time.

The success continued for Afghanistan as they further advanced in international cricket by qualifying for their first-ever ICC Champions Trophy in 2025. Although they lost their opening game to South Africa, they achieved a victory against England, marking their first-ever win in the ICC Champions Trophy and their second consecutive victory over England in ICC tournaments.

Records

International match summary – Afghanistan (Last updated 28 February 2025.)

Test Matches:

-          Highest Team Total: 699 vs Zimbabwe, December 30, 2024, at Queens Sports Club, Bulawayo.