Afghanistan cricket board now based in Noida

New Delhi Afghanistan cricket team has shifted its home base from Sharjah to the UPCA stadium in NOIDA where they will play their matches and practice after an MoU was signed yesterday in this regardAccording to the Memorandum of Understanding with BCCI and Greater Noida Industrial Development Authority the Afghanistan Cricket Board ACB will be able to utilise the facilities of the Shaheed Vijay Singh Pathik Sports Complex which has successfully hosted a Ranji Trophy game between Uttar Pradesh and BarodaFirst of all I would like to thank BCCI and Greater Noida Authority We compliment the support of BCCI towards Afghanistan cricket development and the commitment they have shown so far is immense We were trying a lot from the last few years to get some sort of support from BCCI as Afghanistan you all know is an emerging nation which is knocking the door of Test cricket Shafiq Stanikzai CEO ACB told media hereBCCI Secretary Anurag Thakur who also signed the MoU papers in presence of UPCA Secretary Rajeev Shukla not only gave the new ground a big thumbs but also complimented the Afghanistan team for its recent successAfghanistan have done well in the last two years and to qualify in the World Cup it showcases their hardwork And they will play in India and like India played a big hand in Bangladesh becoming a full member India will also play a big part in Afghanistan becoming a full member as well Thakur saidThakur also insisted that rubbing shoulders with the greats of Indian cricket will certainly open a new world for the young Afghan players Not only they will play their matches here but will also get added support like a chance to get help from top coaches and a chance to rub shoulders with Indias best cricketersGreats like Sachin Tendulkar Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid might not travel to Kabul but can certainly give these players a tip or two when they are in India So BCCI will certainly help them in every manner he saidShukla said I on behalf of UPCA welcome this arrangement done by BCCI Afghanistan Cricket Board as well as Greater Noida Authority So far they were witnessing Ranji Games we also plan to have Deodhar Trophy there and now Afghanistan will have their home base there instead of SharjahSo I think it is a good opportunity for all of us People will also be able to watch international games in the future We are delighted that everyday five to 10 thousand people watched the Ranji game Shukla saidOn being asked about the time frame for international matches to be hosted on this ground Thakur said Look ICC has this procedure that whichever stadium has to have international matches a match referee has to inspect the venue and if it fits the bill for an ICC venue then it gets permission for itThe ICC did a recce of this ground and it was found fit to host affiliate and associate matches and also for Under19 and A level cricket To host an international match the venue still needs to be equipped with a few more facilities he saidAnd the way the authorities of the Greater Noida Development Authority have told us they are working on the shortcomings of the ground to host international matches in the future And Afghanistan board will also be able to play their international matches in the future he addedRama Raman Chairman Noida Greater Noida Yamuna Expressway Authority said Mr Akhilesh Yadav Honourable Chief Minister Uttar Pradesh was very keen to offer this ground to Afghanistan Cricket Board and because of his support we were able to work out this proposal in very short period of time On behalf of Chief Minister and Government of Uttar Pradesh I offer our full support to Afghanistan Cricket Board and I am thankful to BCCI for facilitating this opportunityMeanwhile Thakur also talked about the strengthening of IndoAfghan ties through this MoU IndoAfghan ties will be strengthened on the political front peopletopeople contact and on the sporting front especially on the cricket field And as Afghanistan wanted to have a permanent home ground in India they liked the Greater Noida venue and so it happenedEven the officials of the Greater Noida Industrial Authority did their best to even come on holidays and show us the facilities So they have played a big part in strengthening the ties between two nations popularise cricket and make Greater Noida known to the world he saidAfghanistan Cricket Board generally plays its matches outside its country And the way IndoAfghan ties are good politically they are also good on the cricket field And Afghanistan board has always wanted that it should have a home venue in India where they can give its cricket a boostAnd in Indias state like Uttar Pradesh they got a home venue due to the efforts of the Greater Noida officials and also due to the efforts of UPCA Secretary Rajeev Shukla he added Thakur was more than happy to throw light on the efforts of Asian powerhouses India Pakistan Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to uplift associate cricket in the regionIn the recently concluded Asian Cricket Council meeting I personally stressed on the fact that associate nations should be helped We also agreed that the four full members India Pakistan Sri Lanka and Bangladesh should take out two per cent of their overall earnings and two percent combined from the associate nations and generated a kittyThat 10 per cent money will help host the Associate Asia Cup in which countries like Afghanistan and Oman will play with their full teams while India Pak SL and Bangladesh will send their A teams with some top players in them Big players who might not be a part of the senior team will also accompany the big guns to raise the level of cricket he said