The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has formally requested the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to allot it a new base in India as Dehradun lacks the hospitality facilities to host visiting teams.
A delegation from the ACB met BCCI chief executive officer Rahul Johri and Saba Karim, the BCCI's general manager for cricket operations, on Thursday and expressed that it would like to move out of its current home base in Dehradun.
“We have requested the BCCI to shift us to a different venue as there are not many five-star hotels in Dehradun. The BCCI will look into the matter and let us know in due course of time,” ACB CEO Asadullah Khan told Sportstar after the meeting at the BCCI headquarters.
READ| Ahmadzai: Asghar will not give us the World Cup
India has been ‘home’ for Afghanistan since 2015. Initially, it hosted international games in Greater Noida, but last year it found a second base at the Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Dehradun.
The team also hosted Ireland for a Test match this year in Dehradun. With more international commitments coming up for Afghanistan, the ACB officials want to shift to a bigger city with better logistics. It has been learned that Lucknow could be an option.
Afghanistan will host the West Indies in a Twenty20 International and One-Day International series in October. “When we host a big team in India, it is important that we provide five-star facilities to the visiting side,” Khan said.
As per the ICC’s Futures Tours Programme (FTP), ACB will host Australia and West Indies in a triangular T20 series in 2021.
ALSO READ| Rashid and Nabi oppose Asghar axe, call it 'bias'
The ACB officials have requested the BCCI to allow them to host the Afghanistan Premier League in India. The first edition of the league was held in the UAE last year, and it did not find many takers despite the presence of top cricketers.
Comments
SHARE