Afghanistan became an Associate Member in 2013 before a momentous year in 2017 when the country was awarded Full Member status and played their first Test match in 2018 against India in Bangalore.

Afghanistan were first integrated into international cricket through ODIs. Afghanistan played their first ODI in 2009 against Scotland in Benoni. A year later, Afghanistan played their first T20I against Ireland in Colombo.

Afghanistan’s domestic cricket set-up is quite small, with only a few tournaments played in the country. Since Afghanistan is a Full Member country, with Test cricket status, the nation’s domestic players participate in a four-day first-class tournament, called the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament.

As part of their List A structure, Afghanistan’s domestic scene includes the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament, with eight teams participating in the annual competition.

The Shpageeza Cricket League is Afghanistan’s top-tier T20 tournament. The league’s first edition was held back in 2013.

How To Stream Cricket in Afghanistan

There are a few ways to stream cricket played in Afghanistan. While international cricket is not played in the home soil of Afghanistan, most international matches are broadcasted live.

Most domestic tournaments are also streamed live on YouTube by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

Afghanistan Regional Cricket Tournaments

There are three main domestic tournaments in Afghanistan for the various formats.

The Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day tournament, named after the founder of the Durrani Empire Ahmad Shah Durrani, began in 2011 as a three-day tournament. The competition subsequently transitioned into a four-day competition in 2014.

Matches played in the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day tournament were awarded First Class status only from the 2017-18 tournament. Teams that participate in the tournament include Hindukush Strikers, Mah-e-Par Stars, Maiwand Champions and Pamir Legends.

The Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament was first held in 2017. The competition is played in a round-robin format with eight participating teams: Amo Region, Band-e-Amir Region, Boost Region, Hindukush Region, Kabul Region, Mis Ainak Region, Pamir Region and Spin Ghar Region.

The tournament is named after the Afghanistan King Amanullah Khan. Spin Ghar Region were the winners of the inaugural edition, held in 2017.

The Shpageeza Cricket League is Afghanistan’s premier domestic T20 competition, with eight participating franchises. The tournament, which has undergone multiple format changes, is usually played in a round-robin format followed by a playoffs series.

The first tournament, which was held back in 2013, featured five teams but the competition’s expansion to eight teams has been an indicator of the country’s progress on the international stage, particularly in T20 cricket, as evidenced by their run to the semi-final stage of the T20 World Cup in 2024.