Afghan Cricket Association is excited to announce it’s first indoor soft-ball tournament ” ACA Indoor tournament” is scheduled to take place on Saturday the 15th of February 2020 from 1pm to 6pm.

It will be two round competition between 4 teams and each team will consist of 6 players (one sub player allowed). In the 1st round each team will play three games (round robin) and top two teams will go to the 2nd round (final) to battle for the trophy.

*Awards*?–
?Winner and Runners up the trophy
?Man of the match (final)
?Best bowler
?Best batsman

MIDDLESEX CRICKET AND AFGHAN CRICKET FOUNDATION LAUNCH EXCITING PARTNERSHIP TO ENGAGE AFGHAN COMMUNITIES IN 2019
Middlesex Cricket is today delighted to announce the launch of an exciting new partnership between the club and the Afghan Cricket Foundation (ACF) which will see the two organisations working hand in hand on several projects over the coming year to engage the Afghan community within and around London.

In the year when eighteen-year -old Afghan cricketing superstar Mujeeb ur Rahman will represent Middlesex in the Vitality Blast, what better time to join forces to try and engage UK resident cricket loving Afghans with one of the countries most respected county sides at the games most historic ground, Lord’s.

With over 100,000 Afghans currently living in the capital, the ACF and Middlesex will be running several engagement projects to bring the Afghan community together at Lord’s this summer, including launching a special membership promotion available exclusively through the ACF website.

Anyone purchasing the special membership offer through the ACF will also be invited to attend a unique event held at Lord’s later this summer, when they’ll get to meet Mujeeb in person, whilst enjoying hospitality at the finest venue in cricket.

Middlesex Cricket will also be playing a major part in helping to improve the standard of Afghan cricket within the capital – making their Finchley Indoor School facility regularly available to the ACF and providing professional coaching to improve players’ skills.

To crown the year, Middlesex Cricket will also be providing a representative side to take on the ACF  team after their annual cricket competition – with dates and venue still to be confirmed.

Speaking of the innovative new partnership, Middlesex Cricket’s Chief Operating Officer Rob Lynch, commented:

“We are delighted to have formed this partnership with the ACF and are really looking forward to working with them and to welcoming the Afghan community to Lord’s over the summer months ahead.

“With such a vibrant cricket loving Afghan population living in London, this partnership makes huge sense on so many levels, and with Mujeeb on board this year with Middlesex, we’re hoping to achieve great things in the Vitality Blast.

“It promises to be an exciting summer for Afghans in the capital.”

Bashir Gharwal, Chairman of the ACF commented:

“Founded not long ago, on 1st June 2016, we are proud of where ACF has reached. From only 6 teams in the first year, we now have 15 teams in different cities across the UK participating in our annual events.

“We are thrilled to be partnering with Middlesex Cricket and we would like to thank the club for signing the Afghan mystery spinner Mujeeb – this will further strengthen the cricketing relationship between the two great nations which is one of our prime aims. It is also an excellent opportunity for our players and members to get professional training and showcase their talent on bigger stages.”

About the ACF

Afghan Cricket Foundation serves as the talent-hunt hub for UK based Afghans and acts as the centre of gravity for Afghan teams and clubs in the UK. They have previously collaborated with MCC during Afghanistan National Team’s first ever appearance at Lord’s, and Wormsley CC during the Afghanistan XI exhibition match against the Sir Paul Getty XI.

What is the best thing that has happened to Afghanistan in the last 2 decades? Afghanistan’s cricket unprecedented growth is as good an answer as any. Afghanistan is yet to play at home in the foreseeable future, owing to the security situation in their country but that has not stopped Afghanistan Cricket Team grow to an unprecedented level in the year 2018 and keep their fans entertained around the globe.

The year 2018 has been a year full of extraordinary achievements for Afghanistan in Cricket Field.  With their test debut against India, Afghanistan started the year with their T20 rankings at no 9 and finishing the year with no 8 as well as maintaining their ODI team rankings at no 10. This has been a result of some outstanding cricket that started with their 4-1 ODI series win against Zimbabwe in February 2017 that set them perfectly for their world cup qualifying tournament.

Afghanistan didn’t make it easy for themselves in the qualifier tournament. They lost their opening three qualifying games and World Cup qualification seemed a dream too far for the Asian minnows But they refused to give up, made the impossible seem possible and won rest of their matches to keep themselves in contention and qualified for the World Cup 2019. Afghanistan continued their success by white washing Bangladesh in T20 series by 3-0 in June 2018 and then finishing their year with a T20 and ODI Series wins against Ireland in June 2018 making them the only Country to have stayed unbeaten in ODI and T20 series cups in the year 2018.

Afghanistan also showcased their commitment, energy and passion on cricket ground in their appearance at Asia cup. They made history and truly won the title “The King of Upsets” by reaching the Asia cup super four stages for fist time. It wasn’t as though they somehow luckily reached this stage but they did it in style by comfortably beating Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and of course tying with India, the unbeaten current champions of Asia cup.

If there was one team that entertained the spectators with every single match, It would be Afghanistan as also perfectly described by Waqar Younis “For me Afghanistan is a Champion Team of this tournament.. They have won Hearts of the millions around the World.. Hats off to the Afghan boys”. With their back breaking spin bowling attack and impressive performances in batting, It filled Afghans at home with joy.

Individual players of Afghanistan have been the ambassadors across the world and have won millions of hearts across the globe. They have shined in every league and have won a special place for their spectators across the world. Rashid Khan was once again picked by Sunrisers Hyderabad at IPL along with Mohammad Nabi and Mujeeb Ul Rahman. They were also considered in the BPL, Caribbean Premier League and Big Bash for their regular appearances. Thanks to Rashid Khan the leg spinner his team Adelaide Strikers managed to proceed to the final and won the tournament for first time since the league started. With his impressive bowling and batting Rashid Khan topped the table by taking the most (18) wickets in the tournament.

As a result of their continuous wins for Afghanistan and appearances in International Leagues Rashid Khan jumped from his 4th position in Oct 2017 to being ranked as the No1 T20 bowler. Rashid Khan also continues to surprise us all by skipping his ODI rankings from no 9 to the 2nd best ODI bowler. To make the impossible seemed possible Rashid Khan also shocked the world by becoming the No1 ODI All rounder followed by Muhammad Nabi  for the year ending 2018.

Mohammad Nabi also brought some changes to his ranking thanks to his incredible bowling backed with much needed runs with the bat making him the 2nd Best T20 all rounder and maintaining his 2nd position as an ODI all rounder.

With such outstanding individual and team efforts Afghanistan also hosted their first International Cricket League in their home ground Sharjah Cricket Stadium October 2018. Afghanistan Cricket Board managed to achieve some of their goals and objectives but more than that, This was an opportunity for the younger generation to enhance their skills against top cricketers around the world. With their senior players shining at the top of the rankings backed up by the young energy Afghanistan now feels confident to upset some of the top 10 teams in their appearance of ODI world cup 2019.

While the Nation Afghanistan goes through some tragic events on a daily basis, Afghanistan Cricket team has certainly been a source of happiness and joy for many Afghans living abroad or in Afghanistan.

Cricket is sometimes referred to as the hardest game to understand but it’s not as complicated as you might think. Cricket is quite similar to baseball but the rules are completely different. This guide will give a better insight about the game of cricket and how it’s played.

The Equipment’s (main gear used to play the game): 

For hard-ball cricket, you’ll need equipment’s such:

• Bat
• Ball
• Helmet
• Stumps
• Bails
• Pads
• Gloves
• Spikes (Cricket Shoes)

Hard ball cricket is for professional and club levels cricketers which cannot be played without the appropriate gear due to safety reasons.

If you’re playing a casual game of soft-ball cricket, all you need is comfortable clothing, energy and enthusiasm! Even if it’s you and your mate in the yard, you can still indulge a game.

Different Formats (international cricket)

• Twenty20 (T20) overs: is the shortest format of cricket played on international level. Each team is allowed to play 20 overs max, one bowler can bowl a maximum of 4 overs in T20s.
• One Day International (ODI): ODI is also limited overs format, the maximum number of overs one side can bat/bowl is 50 overs. One bowler can bowl a maximum of 10 overs.
• Test game: test is considered the highest standard of cricket, it is the longest format and can last for as long as five days.

Basics of the game:

• Cricket is a team sport played between two teams at a time, each team consists of 11 players.
• International/Club cricket is usually played at a proper cricket ground, the ground is normally a circular or oval shape covered by grass, surrounded by boundary marker and the pitch is placed in the middle of the ground.
• The order of a team’s batting or bowling is decided by tossing a coin. The captains that wins the toss decides whether his/her team is going to bat or field/bowl first.
• Both teams will have the chance to bat and field, there will be two batsmenof the batting side playing in pairs, and eleven Fielders of the opposition fielding to restrict the batting side to a low score or get them all out. Two out of the eleven fielders will have special roles, one bowling (throwing/releasing the ball after swinging the arm for at least one full revolution) and the second person doing wicket keeping (Wicket keeper), which means that he will have special protection (helmet, pads and gloves for safety reasons, as the ball is thrown at him with pace) and would stand behind the wickets/stumps.
• Stumps are normally spaced 22 yards apart. Stumps are three upright wooded posts place in the ground, two bails (small sticks) laid horizontally on top of the stumps.
• The batting side players will have to run between the stumps (22 yards distance) to score as many runs as they possibly can.
• A team can bat until they have completed the allowable over (depends on the format of the game, e.g. 20 0ver, 50 overs test) or, if ten of their 11 batsmen have been dismissed by the opposition.
• A batsman is declared out when he/she is bowled, caught, stumped, run-out, Leg Before Wicket (LBW), or hits the wicket (other ways could be when obstructing the field handled/ling the ball, timed out or hits the ball twice).
• One over is 6 balls/deliveries, bowled by the bowling/fielding side.
• When a bowler gets three back to back wickets (in three consecutive deliveries), it’s called hat-trick.
• When a bowler completes an over without conceding a run, it’s called maiden over.
• When a batsman scores 50 runs, its referred to as half-century or fifty.
• When a batsman scores 100 runs, it’s called century.
• The team with the highest score (runs) wins eventually.