KABUL, Afghanistan – The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the commencement of the 15th Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Provincial Grade I Tournament, the country’s second major domestic cricket event this year, starting Tuesday, February 20.
The tournament will feature 12 provincial teams, divided into two groups, competing across four venues in Kandahar, Kunar, and Nangarhar provinces.
The one-day format event will span 16 days, concluding on March 6, with a total of 33 games scheduled.
Teams will compete within their groups, with the top two teams from each group advancing to the semi-finals. Nangarhar, Laghman, Kabul, and Logar have secured their spots from the previous edition. They are joined by Kabul B, Khost B, Paktia, Balkh, Nangarhar B, and Faryab, who qualified through the WAK Provincial Grade II Tournament in January.
Additionally, the event will feature “ACB XI” and “Chairman XI” teams, providing an opportunity for standout players from Grade II to participate at the Grade I level.
Group A, competing in Kandahar, includes Kabul, Laghman, Faryab, Khost B, Nangarhar B, and ACB XI. Group B, with matches in Kunar and Nangarhar, comprises Nangarhar, Paktia, Logar, Balkh, Kabul B, and Chairman XI.
Nazeem Jaar Abdulrahimzai, Manager of Domestic Cricket at ACB, expressed enthusiasm over the back-to-back tournaments. “Having two consecutive tournaments in the first part of the year is a good sign. The Grade II tournament was successful in developing high-quality players. We are committed to enhancing domestic cricket as it supports our national-level teams,” he stated.
The Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Provincial Grade I Tournament is part of a series of domestic cricket events planned for 2023, including multiple white and red-ball competitions.
