The 15th provincial cricket tournament is launched by the Afghanistan Cricket Board.

Afghanistan’s KABUL The 15th Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Provincial Grade I Tournament, the nation’s second significant domestic cricket competition of the year, will get underway on Tuesday, February 20, according to the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

Twelve provincial teams from the provinces of Kandahar, Kunar, and Nangarhar will compete in the event. They will be split into two groups and play at four different sites.

There are 33 games scheduled for the 16-day event, which will end on March 6. It is a one-day style event.

Teams will play against other teams in their group, with the top two teams moving on to the semifinals. Logar, Kabul, Laghman, and Nangarhar have all clinched their places from the previous edition. Kabul B, Khost B, Paktia, Balkh, Nangarhar B, and Faryab have joined them; they qualified in the January WAK Provincial Grade II Tournament.

The “ACB XI” and “Chairman XI” teams will also be competing in the event, giving exceptional Grade II players a chance to compete at the Grade I level.

Group A comprises Kabul, Laghman, Faryab, Khost B, Nangarhar B, and ACB XI; they are competing in Kandahar. Group B includes Nangarhar, Paktia, Logar, Balkh, Kabul B, Chairman XI, and matches in Kunar and Nangarhar.

The ACB’s Manager of Domestic Cricket, Nazeem Jaar Abdulrahimzai, expressed excitement over the consecutive tournaments. It’s encouraging to have two events in a row in the first half of the year. The Grade II competition was effective in producing players of the highest caliber. Because it helps our national teams, we are dedicated to improving domestic cricket,” he said.

A number of white-ball and red-ball competitions, as well as other domestic cricket events, are scheduled for 2023, including the Wazir Mohammad Akbar Khan Provincial Grade I Tournament.