Afghan U-19 cricket team returns to warm reception

KABUL (Pajhwok): The Afghanistan under-19 national cricket team arrived in Kabul on Tuesday to a warm reception after participating in bilateral series in Bangladesh and a tri-series in India.

The team was welcomed at the Kabul International Airport by sports officials.

Over the past month, the team first defeated Bangladesh’s U-19 side in two matches and then travelled to India, where they also beat India’s U-19 in three matches. The Afghan team won both the series.

Rais Ahmadzai, head coach of the U-19 team, told a press conference held at ACB: “We won both matches in Bangladesh and then secured three victories against India’s U-19. The final ended without a result due to rain.”

He noted that these games were highly valuable, explaining that Asian U-19 teams gain important experience from such matches, which often help them build strong squads capable of competing at the World Cup.

He emphasised that playing against these teams prepared young players for successful participation in the World Cup and Asia Cup.

Ahmadzai added that he was satisfied with the performance of all players in every aspect, giving the team confidence that the Under-19 World Cup will be productive and successful for Afghanistan.

Mahboob Taskin, captain of the Under-19 team, said the matches provided valuable experience and boosted the players’ confidence, preparing them to perform better in the Under-19 World Cup and Asia Cup.

Faisal Shinawzadeh, another player, said the team had trained for several months ahead of the competitions and had been able to deliver a strong performance.

Men’s U-19 Asia Cup will be held from December 12 to 21 in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with Afghanistan as the host.

kk/ma