India to host Afghanistan home games

Afghanistan have a new home ground - in India. On Thursday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and the BCCI signed an MoU with the Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority to use the Shahid Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex as their home ground.

According to a BCCI release, the ICC recently cleared the facility - around 40km from Delhi - for hosting ODI and T20 matches between Associate teams as well as matches between Associates and Full Member A teams.

"Afghanistan was quite keen to shift their home base to India for some time now and it has been BCCI's vision to expand the game globally and help associate and affiliate members of ICC," Anurag Thakur, the BCCI secretary, said. "In this direction, we identified this ground and Greater Noida authorities were open and cooperative to offer this ground to Afghanistan Cricket Board."

Shafiq Stanikzai, the CEO of the ACB, said the move would strengthen ties between India and Afghanistan.

"I am grateful to BCCI and particularly Mr. Anurag Thakur for offering us a home base in India," he said. "This is a historical day for Afghanistan cricket and this will strengthen the relationship between two countries.

"We were trying for this for the last few years and finally we have succeeded. I am sure that in future we would be able to host full members' national teams on this ground as well. I would also like to thank Greater Noida Authorities for all assistance they have provided to us."