From Junior Matches to Advanced Training: Three Provinces Test Afghanistan’s Cricket Pathway

New cricket activities in Paktika, Kandahar and Khost cover three stages of player development, from under-13 competition to training for established club performers. Their longer-term value will depend on whether promising players can progress from local tournaments into higher levels of Afghan cricket.

21 October 2026

KABUL, AFGHANISTAN | BY NIAZ SHINWARI

Afghanistan’s domestic cricket development is taking three different forms across Paktika, Kandahar and Khost, where a specialist training camp, a 12-team one-day tournament and an under-13 competition are providing opportunities for players at different stages of their careers.

The activities highlight an important challenge for Afghan cricket: developing talent is not simply a matter of organising more matches, but of creating a system through which promising players can move from junior competition to higher-level cricket.

In Paktika, the provincial cricket department has opened a preparation camp for players who performed strongly during the province’s 2026 club competitions.

The camp is being held at the provincial national cricket stadium under the supervision of Khanzada Sharanwal, a coach at the provincial cricket academy.

Working with other coaches, Sharanwal is helping the selected players improve different areas of their game.

The programme offers an opportunity for cricketers who have already demonstrated their abilities in club competition to receive more structured preparation.

But the number of participants and the criteria that will determine their progression to higher-level opportunities have not been specified in the available announcement.

In Kandahar, a different stage of the development process is under way.

Twelve leading provincial teams are competing in a one-day tournament named after Ahmad Shah Abdali.

The competition is scheduled to continue for 23 days, giving local teams an extended period of competitive cricket.

For players seeking recognition beyond their clubs, sustained competition provides a more meaningful test than isolated performances.

Repeated matches allow coaches and selectors to assess consistency, decision-making and performance under different conditions.

However, the tournament announcement does not establish whether leading performers will receive places in provincial development camps or other selection programmes.

Khost’s initiative focuses on an even younger generation.

The provincial cricket development department has organised an under-13 Twenty20 competition involving four teams.

The tournament follows a group format and is scheduled to continue until 23 October.

At that age, organised matches can introduce players to competition structures, teamwork and the demands of performing against unfamiliar opponents.

Yet junior tournaments are only an entry point. The development of young players also requires continued coaching, appropriate training and opportunities to compete as they grow older.

Taken together, the three activities represent different parts of a potential player-development pathway.

Khost is providing competition for younger players. Kandahar is testing established local teams through a longer tournament. Paktika is offering additional training to cricketers identified through club performances.

What remains unclear is how closely these stages are connected.

The available provincial updates do not identify a common selection system linking the competitions, nor do they explain how successful players will be tracked as they progress.

That distinction matters for Afghanistan’s long-term cricket development.

The country has produced international players through its domestic structure, but maintaining a strong national talent pool requires opportunities to be available consistently across provinces and age groups.

In September, Afghanistan Cricket Board high-performance manager Dawlat Khan Ahmadzai outlined plans to decentralise elite training through regional high-performance centres.

That broader ambition gives provincial activities additional significance, although the three programmes announced this week have not been confirmed as components of a unified regional high-performance system.

For now, Paktika, Kandahar and Khost are creating opportunities at different levels of the game.

Their lasting contribution will be measured by what happens after the camps and tournaments end: which players advance, what training they receive and whether provincial performances lead to meaningful opportunities in Afghan cricket.

Sources: Provincial cricket development announcements; Afghanistan Cricket Board; background reporting on regional high-performance development.

Image caption: Provincial cricket activities in Paktika, Kandahar and Khost include specialist training, club competition and under-13 matches.

Image credit: Afghanistan Cricket Board/provincial cricket development source — exact photograph ownership and reuse rights to be confirmed.