Shpageeza Cricket League

Shpageeza Cricket League
شپږیزه کريکټ لیګ
The logo of the Afghan T20 cricket league.
Countries Afghanistan Afghanistan
Administrator Afghanistan Cricket Board,
SCL Department
Format Twenty20
First tournament 2013
Last tournament 2017
Next tournament 2018
Tournament format Round-robin and Playoffs
Number of teams Six (6)
Current champion Band-e-Amir Dragons (1st title)
Most successful Spin Ghar Tigers (2 titles)[1]
Most runs Afghanistan Mohammad Shahzad (762) Kabul Eagles (current)
Most wickets Afghanistan Rahmat Shah (36) Mis Ainak Knights (current)
TV 1TV
Website Cricket.af
Shpageeza.af
2017 Shpageeza season

The Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL, also known as the Alokozay Cola Shpageeza Cricket League for sponsorship reasons) (Pashto: شپږیزه کريکټ لیګ‎) is a Twenty20 cricket tournament organized by the Afghanistan Cricket Board every year in Afghanistan. The Shpageeza tournament is established with six franchises, including players from the national team, overseas, players from the ‘A’ team and players from the under 19 team as well as elite performers from the respective regions participating in this tournament. In addition, ACB has given the league an identity by franchising all team while players will be selected through a draft for each team.

The ultimate goal of this 12-day tournament is promoting cricket and sport in Afghanistan and establishing peace through sport. The tournament is broadcast live on Afghanistan’s prominent channel 1TV using HD quality production standards, and the tournament is commercialized by franchising and marketing each team to a company/organization. Through the design and broadcast of this tournament, Afghans will have firsthand access to watch their national players in their home ground.

History

The League was established in 2013 titled as Shpageeza Cricket Tournament. Five regional teams participated in the event and it was a successful initiative by Afghanistan Cricket Board. The champion of the first league was Spin Ghar Tigers for the inaugural edition of the tournament. The matches were telecasted from Shamshad TV. The second edition was conducted with the same number of team each representing out five regions in the country. Mis-e-Ainak Knights won the title championship. Gulbadin Naib was named Man of the tournament; Noor Ali was the best batsman and Rokhan Barekzai was named the best bowler of this edition. The matches were telecast on 1TV. Starting from the 2017 season, the ICC granted List A status to the Twenty20 domestic competition (List A rather than Twenty20 status as Afghanistan did not have a domestic 50-over tournament).[2][3] In May 2017 however, the ICC recognised Afghanistan's 50-over Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament by granting it List A status[4] and matches in the 2017 Shpageeza cricket league are classified as Twenty20 status.

Teams

Shpageeza Cricket League was played among 5 regions of Afghanistan but a sixth team Kabul Eagles, officially sponsored by Aatif Mashal was added in the 2015 edition. Following teams participate in the Shpageeza T20 Tournament:

Squads

Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL) 2017

Amo Sharks Owner: Al-Masafi

Coach: Gordon James Parsons (England)

Full Squad: Mirwais Ashraf (c), Abdul Razzaq (Pakistan), Afsar Zazai (wk), Dawlat Khan, Fazal Zazai, Imran Mohammadi, Hamilton Masakadza (Zimbabwe), Mohammad Alam, Najeeb Tarakai, Nasir Totakhil, Nawab Khan, Richard Ngarava (Zimbabwe), Noor-ul-Haq Malekzai, Perwez Malikzai, Rahmatullah Sahaq, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Tahir Khan, Yamin Ahmadzai and Yousuf Zazai

Band-e-Amir Dragons Owner: Paragons

Coach: Umesh Patwal (India)

Full Squad: Rashid Khan (c), Amin Shinwari, Arif Khan, Fitratullah Khawari, Habib Sultani, Hazratullah, Javed Ahmadi, Luke Jongwe (Zimbabwe), Muslim Musa, Najibullah Zadran, Qasim Orya-Khalil (wk), Rahmat Shah, Denesh Ramdin (West Indies) (wk), Samim Sultani, Shahidullah, Glenton Anric Stuurman (South Africa), Tahsin Sultani and Wahab Shinwari

Boost Defenders Owner: Arif Azim Group of Companies

Coach: Adam Hollioake (England)

Full Squad: Shapoor Zadran (c), Abdul Baqi, Cameron Delport (South Africa), Rayad Emrit (West Indies), Fazal Niazai, Gulbadin Naib, Juma Gul, Jeevan Mendis (Sri Lanka), Mujeeb Zadran, Munir Ahmad, Nasir Khan Jan, Nawroz Mangal, Shabir Noori, Tariq Stanikzai, Morne van Wyk (South Africa) (wk), Waheedullah Shafaq, Waqar Ishakqai and Zia-ur-Rehman

Kabul Eagles Owner: General Petroleum (GP)

Coach: Augustin Logie (West Indies)

Full Squad: Asghar Stanikzai (c), Abdullah Mazari, Fareed Ahmad, Hamid Hassan, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Imran Janat, Karim Janat, Karim Sadiq, Khalibar Omar, Solomon Mire (Zimbabwe), Mohammad Ibrahim, Mohammad Sardar, Richmond Mutumbami (Zimbabwe) (wk), Sayed Nasratullah, Qais Ahmad, Sayed Abdullah, Shawkat Zaman and Zeeshan Maqsood (Oman)

Mis Ainak Nights Owner: Wazirzai Group of Companies

Coach: Andy Moles (England)

Full Squad: Mohammad Nabi (c), Bahar Shinwari, Ryan Burl (Zimbabwe), Darwish Rasooli, Dawlat Zadran, Ghamai Zadran, Ibrahim Zadran, Ihsanullah, Nasir Jamal, Naveen-ul-Haq, Nawaz Khan, Nisar Wahdat, Rahim Mangal, Rahman Gul (wk), Vusi Sibanda (Zimbabwe), Sikandar Raza Butt (Zimbabwe), Zahir Shehzad, Zamir Khan and Zia-ul-Haq Esa

Spin Ghar Tigers Owner: Muslimyar Group

Coach: Herschelle Gibbs (South Africa)

Full Squad: Shafiqullah Shafaq (c), Abdullah Adil, Abdul Wasi, Aftab Alam, Amir Hamza, Batin Shah, Bilal Khan (Oman), Elton Chigumbura (Zimbabwe), Tendai Chisoro (Zimbabwe), Fazal Haq, Haji Murad Muradi (wk), Nijat Masood, Noor Ali Zadran, Rokhan Barakzai, Samiullah Shenwari, Usman Ghani and Younas Ahmadzai

Sponsors

  • Alokozay Group of Companies
  • Polio Eradication Program Afghanistan
  • Voice of America

TV Rights

The TV rights are won by the Afghan channel named 1TV.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Shpageeza T20 Tournament 2014". espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  2. ↑ "Afghanistan domestic competitions awarded first-class and List A status". ESPN Cricinfo. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  3. ↑ "In Principle Agreement to Constitutional and Financial Changes to ICC". International Cricket Council. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  4. ↑ "ICC Recognizes Afghanistan's Domestic ODI Tournament As List A League". Bakhtar News. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  5. ↑ "Domestic Cricket in Afghanistan". Afghanistan Cricket Board. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
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