APL Second Edition Announced as Afghanistan Cricket Bets on Stability and Growth
The Afghanistan Premier League will return in late 2026 in the United Arab Emirates, as the Cricket Board looks to secure new income and give young players sustained exposure alongside senior and international professionals.
UAE | By Sayer Zaland
The Afghanistan Cricket Board has formally announced the second edition of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), confirming that the tournament will be staged in the United Arab Emirates in the latter months of 2026, with five teams set to participate.
The announcement was made during a high-level gathering attended by senior national team players, former internationals, ACB officials and commercial partners. Beyond ceremony, the meeting finalized key decisions on the league’s timing, venue, team structure and commercial framework.
ACB executive director Nasib Khan said team identities will remain intact, while sponsor names will be integrated as part of a model aimed at ensuring financial sustainability and long-term continuity. Cricket Board officials said the league is expected to generate much-needed income while giving young Afghan players regular access to high-level competition and professional environments that have largely been missing from the domestic system.
Senior national team players said the league addresses long-standing gaps in Afghanistan’s cricket pathway, particularly the lack of sustained interaction between emerging players and established professionals.
Rashid Khan said the league offers a rare opportunity for young players to spend extended time with senior professionals in the dressing room.
“When young players spend a full month training, travelling and competing with experienced players, they learn things that were never available in our system before,” Rashid said. “This is a gap Afghan cricket has had for a long time, and APL helps close it.”
Mohammad Nabi highlighted the importance of exposure for players coming through domestic cricket.
“Sharing a dressing room with senior and international players is not just technical learning,” Nabi said. “It teaches professionalism, discipline and how to handle pressure, which domestic competitions alone cannot provide.”
National team captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said the league carries significance beyond development.
“APL shows the world how much talent exists in Afghanistan,” Shahidi said. “There has always been strong demand for this league, and the board’s decision will make fans happy and strengthen confidence in Afghan cricket.”
ACB chairman Mirwais Ashraf described the APL as an income-generating project with a broad impact. He said the league will strengthen the board financially, support players economically, and create opportunities across Afghanistan’s cricket operations.
ACB chief executive Naseeb Khan added that the commercial structure is designed to keep the league self-sustaining, allowing it to grow without relying solely on external funding.
The Afghanistan Premier League was launched to give Afghan cricket its own franchise-based platform but faced delays after its inaugural edition. Its revival comes at a time when the ACB is under pressure to secure stable revenue sources and provide clearer pathways for young talent.
In an era dominated by global franchise leagues, the success or failure of APL’s second edition will serve as a test of whether Afghanistan can convert its raw cricketing talent into a durable system built on structure, finance and long-term planning rather than individual brilliance alone.