The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the development via a statement.
Abu Dhabi is now the official “second home” of Afghanistan cricket after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) signed a five-year agreement with the Abu Dhabi Cricket and Sports Hub (ADCSH).
Under the agreement, UAE’s Abu Dhabi will host all of ACB’s training camps as well as matches and tournaments which feature the Afghanistan A and the country’s age group teams.
The agreement will run till 2029. Under the agreement, the ACB will also collaborate with the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), where multiple venues in the UAE will host matches of the Afghanistan senior men’s team. The ACB, ADCSH, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council (ADSC) held discussions where the three parties expressed their commitment towards “expanding cricket opportunities for Afghanistan’s players on the global stage.
“Our facilities have already welcomed the world’s best players, and this agreement strengthens our strong commitment to nurturing global sporting and cricket talent and leveraging its capacity to be a force for societal good. We’ve loved hosting Afghanistan over the last couple of years and are pleased we can confirm Abu Dhabi as their second home,” ADCSH chief executive Matt Boucher said in the statement.
Naseeb Khan, the CEO of ACB, was optimistic about what’s to come.
“Very excited to be entering a fruitful partnership with the ADCSH, which will allow us to utilize all the premium facilities available in this destination for the development of our age-group cricket,” he said.
With the Taliban taking over Afghanistan in 2021, the Afghanistan cricket team has never really had a base in their country. India hosted a few of Afghanistan’s “home matches”, with Dehradun, Greater Noida, and Lucknow among the venues. Abu Dhabi has hosted Afghanistan’s three Test matches since 2021.
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One was a two-match Test series against Zimbabwe in 2021 that ended in a draw, whereas another was a one-off Test against Ireland in 2024. Ireland won that game by six wickets.
The Afghanistan men’s team have showcased impressive performances in recent ICC tournaments. The Afghans finished sixth at the 2023 ODI World Cup with eight points, a run that included wins over England, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. They also reached the semi-finals of the 2024 T20 World Cup, where they lost to South Africa. More recently, at the 2025 Champions Trophy in Pakistan, Afghanistan defeated England in the group stage but got knocked out after finishing third in the group.
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