** Knockback from ACC for Afghan youth cricket **
Afghanistan’s Cricket Federation (ACF), already an Affiliate Member of the International Cricket Council, has applied for membership of the Asian Cricket Council, (ACC) and also requested permission to send a team to the Youth Asia Cup 2003 which starts on July 15.
While their membership application is an agenda item slated for discussion at ACC’s meeting on June 14, and likely to be approved, unfortunately the Youth Asia Cup 2003 starts just a month later.
The ACC chief executive, Syed Ashraful Huq, has declined participation as ACF is not yet a member of the Asian body on the grounds that even if membership is approved it leaves little time to include an Afghan team in the youth tournament.
However, he said that if ACF membership is approved then they could participate in the Under-17 Asia Cup to be held later this year.
The ACF is active in building up cricket in Afghanistan after the recent war and has already sent teams to play in two Pakistan domestic Grade-II competitions.
The decision by the ACF seems disappointing from the viewpoint of helping develop cricket in the region, a primary goal of the Asian cricket body.
Surely a special case could have been made to allow an Afghan youth team to play while their application was pending?
Such a decision would have allowed Afghan youngsters to gain useful experience against stronger Asian teams while boosting ACF’s morale as they develop cricket in their war-torn country.
© Wisden CricInfo Ltd