Live Update: Despite the current franchise agreements, the ACB is confident that L will revive. The Afghanistan Cricket Board has confirmed that the Afghan Premier League will begin in the UAE on December 27, 2026, with two franchise agreements still to be finalized.
ACB confident of L revival despite ongoing franchise agreements (Photo source: Twitter/@ACBofficials) The Afghanistan Cricket Board has confirmed that the Afghan Premier League will begin on December 27, 2026 in the UAE. Five franchises representing the Kabul, Kandahar, Balkh, Paktia and Nangarhar regions will take part in the tournament. The ACB has reached agreements with three franchise owners and is in the process of finalizing the other two.
Five parties have expressed interest in these two locations, including one in Afghanistan and others in India and other markets. ACB CEO Naseeb Khan spoke to Cricbuzz about the current status of the league’s preparations. “The Afghanistan Cricket Board remains committed to implementing the L as planned.
“As everyone knows, the league is in the process of rebirth after a considerable period of time and hence we have taken a careful and strategic proach in selecting our business partners and franchisees,” Khan told Cricbuzz. “ACB and our business partner are in close communication with these parties and we are working to finalize the remaining two franchise agreements as quickly as possible.” “It is important to emphasize that business partners and franchisees are among the league’s most important stakeholders and should remain involved for the long term. Therefore, our priority is not only to quickly fill the remaining positions, but to ensure that we select credible, financially reliable and experienced partners who can contribute to L’s sustainable growth,” Khan added.
When will the player draft take place and how many players have registered? The player draft is scheduled for the last week of October 2026 before the tournament begins on December 27th. Around 1,500 players have registered for the L, including numerous top international players from all over the world.
Khan confirmed the timeline and level of player interest. “I would like to point out that the L is well programmed this year with five teams. The player draft is scheduled for the last week of October and the league will officially begin on December 27, 2026.
The response from players has also been very encouraging: around 1,500 players have registered, including a number of top international players from around the world,” he said. Khan explained that a special committee is currently selecting and evaluating registered players based on proven criteria. “A special committee is currently working on the selection and evaluation of registered players according to proven criteria.
A pool of Afghan coaches has also been named and will be unveiled for the draft in the coming days. The remaining coaching staff and team members will also be selected based on the proven criteria and requirements of each franchise available for the draft,” he said. What is the rationale for the revival of L and what is the board’s view on the participation of English players?
The L was held for the first time in 2018 with five teams: Balkh Legends, Kabul Zwanan, Kandahar Knights, Nangarhar Leopards and Paktia Panthers. Balkh Legends won this inaugural edition. A second edition was later postponed after the ACB terminated the league’s sanctions and commercial rights agreement with Snixer Sports due to non-payment of all rights.
The ACB has now confirmed that the United Arab Emirates will be the host venue for the tournament and there are plans to move to a different venue in future editions. The board also hopes that English cricketers will take part in the L, despite the England national team rejecting a bilateral series with Afghanistan over the Taliban government’s treatment of women. The ACB directly addressed its relationship with the England and Wales Cricket Board.
“ACB highly values its relationships with all of our cricketing colleagues, including the England and Wales Cricket Board, and we remain committed to maintaining a positive, respectful and collaborative relationship with them. We recognize that the continued growth of cricket depends on strong collaboration between cricket boards, particularly in facilitating player participation in various forms of cricket, including franchise leagues around the world, subject to each board’s policies, schedules and contractual considerations. “ACB has always supported and facilitated the participation of our players in England across various leagues and competitions and we look forward to the same spirit of collaboration for the L.”
We are confident that this mutual understanding and support will continue to benefit the players, their respective bodies and the long-term development of cricket worldwide,” Khan said.
