Afghanistan’s cricket board has confirmed plans for a rebooted, five-team Afghanistan Premier League (APL), pencilled in for October-November 2026 in the UAE.
“The inaugural season will feature five city-based franchises, bringing together Afghanistan’s leading national players alongside prominent overseas professionals and emerging local talent,” the board noted in a statement. A player draft is expected in June or July 2026.
Chairman Mirwais Ashraf, speaking at the launch in Dubai, called the tournament “a meaningful step forward in our cricketing journey. It creates new opportunities for our players, inspires the next generation, and allows Afghanistan cricket to be showcased on a global platform. We see the APL as an important contributor to the growth and unity of the game, both domestically and internationally.”
The ACB is running the project with Cricket Venture, a partnership between Trans Group and ITW Universe. Next on the to-do list: finalising team names, locking in sponsors and confirming the overseas contingent.
If the name rings a bell, it should. An APL appeared briefly in 2018, drawing marquee players such as Chris Gayle, Brendon McCullum and Shahid Afridi. That version stalled after a single season amid payment delays and concerns around governance. Board officials insist safeguards are in place this time, although details of those checks have not yet been shared.
Analysts see two immediate benefits. First, a well-run T20 league could deepen Afghanistan’s player pool by exposing youngsters to higher-intensity cricket—something the national side has sometimes lacked outside ICC events. Second, a properly structured competition should provide a steadier revenue stream, easing reliance on bilateral tours that are vulnerable to political headwinds.
Questions remain. Hosting in the UAE guarantees reliable facilities but distances the league from home supporters; balancing cost, security and fan engagement will be tricky. The calendar is also crowded: October already houses tournaments in South Africa and the Caribbean, and the IPL’s growing window affects overseas availability. The ACB, however, appears confident it can carve out a niche.
Afghanistan will continue to run the Shpageeza Cricket League—a separate five-team domestic T20—in its traditional July-August slot, giving local players two short-format showcases a year. That overlap, officials argue, will create a pathway from provincial cricket through Shpageeza to the APL and, ultimately, to international selection.
Further announcements on franchise owners and player retentions are expected early in the new year.
