Land set aside for new Afghanistan cricket stadium

A new international cricket stadium will be built in the Afghanistan capital of Kabul after land being set aside for the project.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai this week issued a decree approving the allocation of 12 hectares of land in the Alokhail area of Kabul for the construction of the new venue.

Acknowledging the efforts of Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) management, the President’s office approved the site for construction of the 35,000 capacity stadium, with work due to start soon.

Announcing this important stage in the project, ACB Chairman, Farhan Yusefzai stated “I am happy to announce that Kabul will be home to a standard state of the art international cricket stadium where the fans will be able to watch their favourite cricketers play.

“I express my special thanks to Mr. President who has always supported the development of cricket and encouraged our players. After initial formalities, the construction of the stadium will also commence and we will ensure it is done with best quality.

“The stadium will be built to international standards and will include a five-star guest house, a standard swimming pool, indoor and outdoor academies, canopies for crowd comfort, a health clinic, a mosque, car parking, administrative block and other facilities.”

Since getting full membership from the ICC a few years ago, Afghanistan has hosted all its ‘home’ matches at neutral venues in India, mostly in Dehradun and Greater Noida.

Image courtesy of ACB.