Afghanistan to compete in Pakistan domestic cricket

Pakistan will include Afghanistan in its inter-district tournament this season for the third time, to help promote the development of the sport there, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said today. "The Afghanistan Cricket Federation (ACF) requested us to allow their team to appear in one of our tournaments," said the board in a statement, "and we have included them in our non-first class inter-district tournament later this year."

Zakir Khan, the former Test fast bowler who is now the PCB/s general manager, told AFP: "Afghanistan's federation is trying hard to come up and as a friendly promotion we have allowed them entry for a third time."

Afghanistan took part in Pakistan's non-first-class tournament for the first time in 2000-01, when they won only one of their six matches. Last season, their second appearance, they lost all their four matches.

Cricket in war-ravaged Afghanistan is promoted by refugees who learnt the finer points of the game while in exile in Pakistan. The Afghanistan Cricket Federation is trying to muster support from the International and Asian Cricket Councils to develop the game.

Earlier this month the ACC sent Iqbal Sikander, its development officer, from Pakistan to Afghanistan to see how the sport could be developed there. Sikander said he was impressed with the interest of the youth in the game, and would recommend that the ICC and the ACC help to improve the cricket infrastructure. And Zakir Syed, the ACC's development manager, said the council would train Afghan coaches and give the sport grants to buy gear.