The players’ draft was announced for the Shpageeza Cricket league, the prime league of Afganistan cricket board. The tournament is kicking off from 6th September and the final will be played on 18th September. The extravaganza has been preponed to avoid any clash with the Indian Premier League (IPL). Notably, the first game of the IPL will be played on 19th September.

All the matches of the tournament will be played at Kabul Cricket Stadium. The tournament was supposed to start from 13th September but was shifted to a week prior. The league features all the top stars from Afganistan cricket and is a celebrated league in the Asian nation. The tournament features 6 teams and Mis Ainak Knights are the defending champions.

The players were divided into different pools. The pools were named, Diamond, Platinum, Gold, and Silver. Each team has retained one player and selected an icon player as well. The tournament will be played with protocols keeping in mind the ongoing pandemic. The security of the event is also very important considering the situation in Afghanistan.

The final squad after the 2020 players draft:

Kabul Eagles:

Saminullah Shinwari (retained), Rahamnullah Gurbaz (icon player), Mujeeb ur Rahman, Naveen ul Haq (diamond), Azmatullah Omarazai, Riaz Hassan, Fazmanullah Safi, Zia ur Rehman Akbar, Sediqullah Atal, Younus Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rahman Sharifi, Ishaq Rahimi, Ihsanullah Ihsan, Abdullah Naib, Rahim Mangal, Nijat Masood, Rahmanullah Zadran.

Mis-e Ainak Knights:

Muhammad Nabi (retained), Mohammad Shahzad (icon player), Najeebullah Tarakia, Hashmatullah Shahidi, Shahidullah Kamal, noor Ahmad Lakanwal, Abdul Rahman, Sadiqullah Pacha, Dawlat Zadran, Afsar Zazai, Ibrahim Khan, Bahar Ali Shinwari, Abid Taniwal, Abdullah Mazari, Abdul Baqi, Popal, Jamshid Khan, Ghamai Zadran.

Bost Defenders:

Gulbadin Naib (retained), Karim Janat (icon player), Humza Hotak, Rahmat Shah, Ehsanullah Janat, Syed Ahmad Shirzad, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Munir Ahmad Kakar, Tahir Adil, Saleem Safi, Waqarullah Ishaqzai, Imran Janat, Nisar Wahdat, Mohammad Alam, Ghulam Dastiger, Naseebullah Sherdali, Zia ul Haq Eashkil.

Amo Sharks:

Juma Gul Miakhil (retained), Javed Ahmadi (icon player), Yousuf Zazai, Farhan Zakhail, Farhid Malik, Murad Muradi, Shawkhat Zaman, Yamin Ahmadzai, Zahid Zakhail, Hayatullah Nasiri, Darwish Rasooli, Batin Shah, Fitraullah Khawri, Qasim Oryakhil, Abdul Wasi, Nasratullah Quraishi, Imran Mohammadi.

Speenghar Tigers:

Najibullah Zadran (retained), Qais Ahmad (icon player), Aftab Alam, Kareem Khan Sadiq, Shabeer Noori, Fazal Zazai, Zahir Khan Pakteen, Waheedullah Shafaq, Abdullah Adil, Nasir Omar, Rahmatullah Sahak, Parwiz Malikzai, Baheer Shah Mahboob, Zubaid Akbari, Zahir Shehzad, Majeeb Alam.

Band-e Amir Dragons:

Rashid Khan (retained), Asghar Afghan (icon player),  Sharafudin Ashraf, Hanid Hassan, Ibrahim Zadran, Hazratullah Zazai, Tarik Stanikzai, Mirwais Ashraf, Waqarullah Salamkhil, Nasir Jamal, Usman Ghani, Mohammad Sardar, Ibrahim Abdurrahimzai, Wafadar Momand, Ikram Alikhil, Imran Mir, Parwin Amin.

In what might result as a major embarrassment for Afghanistan and its cricketing entities, the Afghanistan Cricket Board prematurely calling off the APL, Season – 2 poses a serious threat for the Cricket Board to incur legal and financial liabilities to the tune of over 10 million US$ (78,2500000 AFN).

There had been speculations about the current CEO, Mr. Lutfullah having terminated the contract with the Indian Company Snixer Sports without consulting other members of the Board. Speaking to one of the board members of ACB, who refused to be named, he said that there was no communication sent to any stakeholder or team owners before termination.

He further said that it was foolhardy to call off the league without considering business and legal implications. If team owners and stakeholders sue ACB, we won’t be able to even finance our litigation costs. Our sources with ACB confirm that Snixer Sports has already sent a legal notice to ACB over their action to which ACB is yet to reply.

This can prove fatal for exiting player contracts as well and for their cricketing future. Speaking to one of the senior officials of Snixer Sports, it was learnt that there were allegations over misconduct by few ACB officials and stakeholders in the previous league and the same is under inquiry with ICC, ACU.

“We did seek clarification from ICC, ACU and it was informed to us on record that the inquiry is still going on. We are extremely intolerant towards any such practices which is contrary to the guidelines prescribed by ICC and we been cooperating with ACU to set the record straight. We fail to understand how ACB can be reckless enough to terminate the league without any rationale and over unfounded attributions.”

“Our talks are going on and it is our understanding that the same had been done with procedural discrepancies. We have suffered huge losses owing to such illegal termination and we shall take appropriate legal action to recover the same if our current talks don’t succeed. Afghanistan and its cricket-loving people have been looking forward to the league and it had been a huge disappointment for them as well.”

APL 2019 might go ahead if internal matters of ACB are sorted

Meanwhile, there is huge unrest amongst all the stakeholders over ACB’s action which might result in a long drawn legal battle for Afghanistan Cricket Board against Snixer and existing commercial stakeholders. The drama is still unfolding over speculations of APL season –II somehow happening if internal matters of ACB are sorted.

For a fairly new cricketing association in a sporting nation which has recently started gaining international accolades in cricket, this episode can prove extremely fatal for the scope and future of the sport in Afghanistan. Afghanistan Cricket Board has recently gone ahead engaging Afghanistan’s Attorney General’s office over irregularities in the board.

The sport means a lot to the people of Afghanistan and over recent years, the country has produced many players of international repute. With all such things at stake, ACB’s liability can dent permanent damage to the country’s finances and repute in the international arena.

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Ten years after India’s IPL changed the face of cricket the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) had joined the growing list of T20 tournaments worldwide. It was a proud moment for Afghanistan last year that added a dash of glamour with their inaugural Twenty20 league in the United Arab Emirates. But recently their cricket board (ACB) has decided to postpone the second season due to a conflict with Snixer Sports.

It was expected that the tournament will soon get rolled out in 2019 after its success last year. In the first season many big players like Chris Gayle, Shahid Afridi, Rashid Khan, and Brendon McCullum among others featured in it. The pyrotechnics weren’t long coming but 20-year-old Hazratullah Zazai’s extraordinary six sixes in one over drew everyone’s attention towards it.

What is the reason behind the postponement?

The reason behind terminating the league for one year was the inability of Snixer Sports to pay the complete rights fees of the first edition as per the fees and payment schedule of the agreement according to the ACB’s official website. Snixer Sports held the commercial rights of APL in 2018 but the ACB will not allow them to operate the league in the future.

ACB is in no good mood and has also announced that next year a tender will be issued for the sanctioning of rights for the league. They have also written to Attorney General’s Office of the Government of Afghanistan to fully investigate the administrative allegations of corruption in the league and are committed to ensuring transparency in all its affairs and are accountable to all stakeholders.

The first season of this league that was held in UAE during October 2018, had 5 teams named as Balkh Legends, Kabul, Zwanan, Kandahar Knights, Nangarhar Leopards, and Pakita Panthers. Out of these teams, Balkh Legends led by Mohammed Nabi lifted the trophy after beating Kabul Zwanan by 4 wickets.

Watch – 5 Players who should’ve retired after 2019 World Cup but didn’t

2018 was a great year for the T20 Leagues around the world. The Big Bash League (BBL) was the first T20 League that was played in the year. It was followed by an array of other leagues played all across. A few new leagues emerged onto the scene as well having witnessed the success of some of the other major tournaments. It was quite heartening to see cricket return to Pakistan in the form of Pakistan Super League (PSL) 2018.

Then, it was time for the cricket carnival in India. The Indian Premier League (IPL) came back stronger and bigger with two of the most beloved teams making their comeback. It was the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) who reigned their supremacy straightaway and went on to clinch their third title.

With a lot of international cricketers turning up, the T20 Blast also managed to attract a lot of viewership. In its maiden edition itself, the Global T20 Canada grabbed much appeal as Steve Smith and David Warner returned onto the cricket field for the first time after the Sandpaper gate.

Afghanistan’s own T20 league – The Afghanistan Premier League (APL) was a big accomplishment for the nation and it witnessed many records tumble. The Caribbean Premier League (CPL), with all the entertainment that it has on offer, left the fans enthralled. Moreover, 2018 witnessed Cricket South Africa realise it’s long-cherished dream.

The Mzansi Super League (MSL), the country’s home-grown league was a huge success. It exceeded the expectations and thus contributed in finishing the year on a high. There wasn’t any action though in the Bangladesh Premier League (BPL) as it had to be postponed to 2019.

Here is the best XI from each of these T20 Leagues:

Indian Premier League

Kane Williamson, Jos Buttler, KL Rahul, Ambati Rayudu, Rishabh Pant, MS Dhoni (C)(wk), Rashid Khan, Andrew Tye, Umesh Yadav, Siddarth Kaul, Kuldeep Yadav.

Afghanistan Premier League

Chris Gayle, Mohammad Shahzad (wk), Darwish Rasooli, Ryan ten Doeschate, Laurie Evans, Mohammad Nabi (c), Rashid Khan, Karim Janat, Isuru Udana, Sayed Shirzad, Qais Ahmed.

Big Bash League

D’Arcy Short, Alex Carey (wk), Cameron White, Glenn Maxwell, Travis Head (c), Tom Cooper, DJ Bravo, Rashid Khan, Jofra Archer, Andrew Tye, Ben Laughlin.

Mzansi Super League

Quinton de Kock (wk), Reeza Hendricks, Rassie van der Dussen, Faf du Plessis (c), AB de Villiers, Cameron Delport, DJ Bravo, Jeevan Mendis, Beuran Hendricks, Duanne Olivier, Lutho Sipamla.

Pakistan Super League

Luke Ronchi (wk), Kamran Akmal, Shane Watson, Babar Azam, Colin Ingram, Shoaib Malik, Liam Dawson, Shahid Afridi (c), Faheem Ashraf, Wahab Riaz, Mohammad Sami.

Caribbean Premier League

Glenn Phillips, Colin Munro, Shimron Hetmyer, Darren Bravo, Kieron Pollard, Nicholas Pooran (wk), DJ Bravo (c), Imran Tahir, Fawad Ahmed, Oshane Thomas, Ali Khan.

Global T20 Canada

Lendl Simmons, Anton Devcich, Sherfane Rutherford, Rassie van der Dussen, Nicholas Pooran (wk), Andre Russell (c), Fabian Allen, Sheldon Cottrell, Fawad Ahmed, Lasith Malinga, Peter Siddle.

Vitality T20 Blast

Ian Bell, Aaron Finch, Alex Davies (wk), Luke Wright, Laurie Evans (c), Corey Anderson, Daniel Christian, Jerome Taylor, Nathan Rimmington, Matt Parkinson, Pat Brown.

Get the latest Cricket News and all the Cricket in 2018 articles, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

The year 2018 was a highly eventful one for the T20 Leagues around the world. Many new leagues surfaced while the old leagues treated the fans with some great entertainment. The cricketing calendar throughout the year was jam-packed with these leagues along with the usual international action.

A few players managed to pull off some unbelievable shows in these T20 leagues. While some put their batting prowess on display, the others showed their skills with the ball. Considering a hypothetical situation, the ‘Best XI’ is formed taking nine different leagues in 2018 into consideration.

The Big Bash League (BBL), Mzansi Super League (MSL), Global T20 Canada, Afghanistan Premier League (APL), T20 Blast, Caribbean Premier League (CPL), Bangladesh Premier League (BPL), Pakistan Super League (PSL), Indian Premier League (IPL) were all considered. Over 30 players were shortlisted for this XI taking into consideration their performances.

Since there are a lot many options available, average over 50 and being in the top-five leading run scorers was the cut-off criteria for the batsmen. For the bowlers, the number of wickets picked, the impact created, and the batsmen to whom they bowled was weighed. A few tough choices had to be made and some players had to be left out despite them pulling off transcendent performances.

Here is the best T20 Leagues XI in 2018:

1. Aaron Finch | T20 Blast (Surrey)

Chris Gayle (BPL and APL), Shane Watson (BBL and IPL), D’Arcy Short (BBL), Hazratullah Zazai (APL) were all considered for the opening slot. However, it is Aaron Finch who runs away with the opening slot after the dream season for Surrey in the T20 Blast. Finch didn’t feature in the entire tournament.

Yet, he managed to finish as the second highest run-scorer. While most of the other players played 14 to 16 games, this Australian only played 9 games. In these nine innings, he was unbeaten on five instances, scored two centuries and three half-centuries. He accumulated a total of 589 runs at an average of 147.25 and strike rate of 182.35. Finch was only 25 runs behind the leading run-scorer, Laurie Evans.

2. Quinton de Kock (wk) | MSL (Cape Town Blitz)

For the other opening slot, Reeza Hendricks (MSL), Mohammed Shahzad (APL), Luke Ronchi (PSL), KL Rahul (IPL), Alex Carey (BBL) were in the race. But, Quinton de Kock ends up owning this position as he also doubles up as a wicket-keeper and fits better into the dynamics of this XI. He was instrumental in taking the Cape Town Blitz to the final of the tournament after he rediscovered his lost form in the tournament.

The Proteas wicket-keeper scored 412 runs in 8 games at an average of 58.85 and strike rate close to 170. He raced his way to three half-centuries and one century in the league. He also played one of the greatest T20 knocks ever when he scored 108 off 55 balls. From 83/0, his side was down to 101/8. Yet, they ended with 172/9 courtesy the wicketkeeper-batsman.

3. Kane Williamson (c) | IPL (Sunrisers Hyderabad)

The Sunrisers Hyderabad camp was devastated even before IPL 2018 started. Their skipper and one of the best performers with the bat, David Warner had to miss out on the tournament due to unpredictable circumstances. At this juncture, it was the Kiwi skipper Kane Williamson who showed the side some bright light at the other end of the tunnel. He took the responsibility and led the team from the front.

No one could have ever imagined that a batsman like Williamson, who isn’t a massive hitter of the ball, would evolve so much in T20 cricket, all with sheer class. He scored 735 runs in 17 games at an average of 52.50 and strike rate of 142. Williamson hit eight fifties in the IPL and ended as the leading run-scorer. The 28-year-old will also lead this best T20 leagues XI.

4. Rassie van der Dussen | MSL (Jozi Stars) & GT20 Canada (Vancouver Knights)

Rassie van der Dussen has been quite a late bloomer in T20 cricket. This South African cricketer is quite legendary when it comes to domestic cricket. However, he has been rather unfortunate not to have got as many chances in the national team. His underwhelming strike rate in T20 cricket always came under scrutiny.

But, he has now improved quite a bit on it and 2018 was quite a revelation for the 29-year-old. His best performances came in the MSL and the Global T20 Canada. In MSL, he was the leading run-scorer with 469 runs in 11 innings at an average of 58.62 and strike rate of 139. In Global T20 Canada, he finished second highest with 255 runs in 8 games at an average of 51. He consistently gets big scores which is one of his biggest strengths.

5. Laurie Evans | APL (Kabul Zwanan) & T20 Blast (Sussex)

This flamboyant batting all-rounder had a dream season in 2018. Predominantly a batsman, Laurie Evans is highly capable with the ball as well and bowls right-arm fast-medium. With his big hitting prowess, he lit up both the Afghanistan Premier League and T20 Blast.

Evans was the highest scorer in the T20 Blast with 614 runs in 14 innings at an average of 68 and strike rate of 136. In the APL, he scored 305 runs in 9 games at an average of 61 and strike rate of 143. He smashed 19 sixes in the tournament.

6. Shakib Al Hasan | BPL (Dhaka Dynamites)

Shakib Al Hasan is a very reliable T20 cricketer and also a veteran campaigner. The Bangladesh T20I skipper had a good Bangladesh Premier League 2018 season. He was terrific as a bowler and scored some useful runs with the bat.

Shakib scored 211 runs in 13 games batting in the middle and lower-middle order. He registered a high score of an unbeaten 47 and scored his runs at a strike rate of 123. He registered much better numbers with the ball and ended the tournament as the leading run-scorer. The all-rounder picked up 22 wickets in as many games at an average of 13.22 and economy rate of 6.49.

7. Rishabh Pant | IPL (Delhi Daredevils)

Rishabh Pant was another top performer from the Indian Premier League (IPL). He can attack the bowlers right from the start and is a fierce hitter of the cricket ball. On the back of the great IPL performances, Pant was also picked in the Indian team and is a regular member of the side at the moment.

This attacking left-hander scored 684 runs in 14 matches at an average of 52.61 and a strike rate of 174. Pant will be relieved of the keeping duties in this XI and will take up the role of a finisher coming in at number seven.

8. DJ Bravo | BBL (Melbourne Renegades) & MSL (Paarl Rocks)

DJ Bravo is one of the best T20 players around and is vastly experienced. He adds a great balance to any side that he is a part of. Bravo, now having retired from international cricket, is a part of almost every T20 league in the world. 2018 was quite a fruitful one for the all-rounder.

Some of his better performances came in the Big Bash League and the Mzansi Super League. He picked up 18 wickets in 11 games in the BBL and 10 in 6 games in the MSL. He was critical with the bat for the Chennai Super Kings in IPL with some handy runs down the order. Bravo won a few games for the team all by himself and picked up 14 wickets in 16 games.

9. Rashid Khan | IPL (Sunrisers Hyderabad) & BBL (Adelaide Strikers)

Undoubtedly, Rashid Khan is right there among the best leg-spinners in the world at the moment. Day after day, this 20-year-old is churning out some unbelievable performances. Just like the previous years, Rashid’s 2018 was also a very memorable one.

The leg-spinner was the joint second highest wicket-taker in the IPL with 21 wickets in 17 matches at an average of 22 and economy under 7 which is terrific for T20 cricket. Earlier in the year, he had a good time in the BBL as well. Rashid picked up 18 wickets in 11 games down under at an economy of 5.65.

10. Andrew Tye | BBL (Perth Scorchers) & IPL (Kings XI Punjab)

Andrew Tye is a great fit for T20 cricket. The Australian pacer has got tons of variations up his sleeve. He often chokes the batsmen with his different types of slower deliveries. Tye is highly accurate and bowls with great precision. Furthermore, he is a handy batsman down the order with the penchant to hit some huge sixes.

The 32-year-old yielded some exceptional performances in the BBL and the IPL this year. In only six games, he accounted for 16 scalps in the Australian T20 League at an average of 12. Even though he is slightly on the expensive side, Tye’s knack of picking up regular wickets makes him so dangerous. He was the winner of the Purple Cap in IPL with 24 wickets in 14 matches.

11. Duanne Olivier | MSL (Jozi Stars)

Duanne Olivier is in this XI because of his marvelous exploits in the Mzansi Super League. He has played five Tests for the Proteas thus far. However, heavy competition amongst the pacers in the country has limited his opportunities. Yet, with his assaults in the league, he revived his stakes to make it into the national team again.

Olivier is known for his accuracy and his unique bowling action helps him extract some natural swing. In nine innings, the pacer picked up 20 wickets at an average of 13.20 which makes him enough eligible for this XI.

Get the latest Cricket News and all the Cricket in 2018 articles, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

It was a pretty decent start for the Afghanistan Premier League (APL), which despite failing to draw huge crowds into the stadiums, provided some good quality cricket. It also gave great exposure to some young and budding Afghan cricketers, who are trying to make it big in the International circuit.

But the tournament didn’t provide great memories for a lot of cricketers who were expected to do well. Some senior International cricketers and some local talented superstars, who hogged quite a lot of limelight before the start of the tournament, were pretty underwhelming on the field.

Here’s a small analysis on those players who failed to live up to the expectations and eventually, didn’t help their team’s cause.

1. Brendon McCullum (Kandahar Knights)

An absolute legend of the game, this is one name which no one expects in a list like this. But Brendon McCullum was a country mile away from playing his best cricket. The Kiwi dynamite failed to impress and owing to the great reputation he had, skipper Asghar Afghan played him in all the games but registered just one fifty.

A lot more was expected from a player of his stature. He eventually registered 158 runs in the eight games he played and in all these games, the Kiwi cricketer batted in the top three. He did have enough chances to make it big, but his level of cricket has certainly deteriorated over the course of time.

2. Johnson Charles (Nangarhar Leopards)

An experienced T20 player who has done pretty well in tournaments like Caribbean Premier League, Johnson Charles was expected to provide a lot of fireworks at the top for the Leopards. But the Windies opener was pretty much below par with his performances, which reflected on his team’s show as well.

In eight matches for the Leopards, he could muster only 131 runs which are very low for a player who batted in the top three spots on all occasions. He averaged under 17 at a strike-rate of 124 and given he had fired on regular basis, the Leopards could’ve had a much better season.

3. Paul Stirling (Kandahar Knights)

Another major top order failure this tournament was the Irish superstar Paul Stirling. One of the cleanest strikers the game has right now, on his day, Stirling can turn matches on its head in a span of 20-30 deliveries. But all his ability was unseen in Sharjah and it doesn’t surprise that the Knights didn’t make it to the final four.

Among all the players in the list, his performance was the most underwhelming and shocking. He could register only 73 runs in eight outings and that is less than mediocre for a top-order batsman. Despite having a good International record this year, things didn’t work well for him in the APL.

4. Calum MacLeod (Paktia Panthers)

Among all the associate cricketing nations, Calum MacLeod easily qualifies as the best batsman in terms of technique and skill. The way he registered a mind-boggling 175 against Afghanistan in the World Cup qualifiers attracted the Panthers to rope him in, but he failed to live up to the expectations.

In five matches, MacLeod could score just 92 runs for Mohammad Shahzad’s team and this comes in as a huge disappointment as a lot of eyes were on him. The Scottish batsman will be keen to turn things around and come back strongly next year.

5. Javed Ahmadi (Kabul Zwanan)

One of the few cricketers who has seen the meteoric rise of Afghanistan cricket in the last 6-7 years, Javed Ahmadi, despite being a 26-year-old, has been a big figure in their side. He also played the inaugural Test match for Afghanistan against India this year.

Unfortunately for him, the APL campaign didn’t go the way he would’ve expected. He registered 153 runs in 8 innings without eclipsing the fifty-run mark even once. Rashid Khan would’ve expected a lot more from him, but he would hope the national selectors don’t judge him by this tournament.

6. Ihsanullah Janat (Paktia Panthers)

One of the brightest young talents in Afghanistan, Ihsanullah Janat was expected to deliver some big performances in this tournament. He is touted as the heir to some of the senior batsmen like Samiullah Shenwari and Asghar Afghan in the Afghanistan middle order, but this APL didn’t help him enhance his reputation.

He went past 30 just once in the 7 innings he played and on the whole, the right-hander could score 123 runs at an average of 20.50. The Panthers’ middle-order let the side down during the whole tournament and Ihsanullah played a part in that as well.

7. Rahmat Shah (Nangarhar Leopards)

One of the best all-rounders in the country, Rahmat Shah is a key figure in Afghanistan cricket. Apart from one match-winning spell against Kabul Zwanan, the 25-year-old was never in the picture for the Leopards in the whole tournament.

It hurts the team very bad when a premium all-rounder like him doesn’t perform well. With the bat, he registered 87 runs in 7 innings and scalped just six wickets with the ball at an economy just over eight. Things could’ve been very different for the Leopards if he had stepped up to the expectations.

8. Shahid Afridi (Paktia Panthers)

A lot of the fans who had followed the tournament closely would’ve expected this name to appear in this list. After announcing his retirement from International cricket very recently, Shahid Afridi confirmed that he would feature in a few T20 tournaments.

It doesn’t seem likely that he will feature in a lot of those tournaments, especially after how things panned out in the APL 2018. He looked rusty with the bat and not very effective with his leg-breaks, which was disappointing for the fans. Afridi scored 78 runs with the bat and picked up just seven wickets for the Panthers.

9. Mitchell McClenaghan (Nangarhar Leopards)

Mitchell McClenaghan has been a consistent performer for various T20 franchises across the world and the expectations on him were quite high from the management. Every tournament he played, he managed to receive a lucrative contract and the Kiwi looked pretty rusty and out of sorts during the whole season.

He has not been at his best in the last 6-7 months and despite that, many expected him to do well in this tournament. As it turned out, his death over bowling was not as efficient as he would’ve loved and eventually, Mitch could pick up just five wickets at an unimpressive economy rate of 9.76.

10. Karim Sadiq (Kandahar Knights)

Another senior local cricketer who did nothing good in the tournament was Karim Sadiq. The veteran has represented Afghanistan in 24 ODIs and 36 T20Is and clearly, he had enough experience to make it count in this big tournament.

But unfortunately for him and the Kandahar Knights, he registered just 2 wickets at an economy of 8.58 despite bowling a total of 24 overs throughout the season. His wicket tally was the lowest for all those who bowled over 15 overs in the tournament. Clearly, Sadiq’s rendition must’ve disappointed Asghar Afghan the most among all his players.

11. Fareed Ahmad (Kabul Zwanan)

Fareed Ahmad has been making inroads into the national side recently and to have delivered a disappointing performance like this at such a crucial juncture of his career will not help him at all. The fast bowler just couldn’t hit the right areas consistently and eventually, got punished big time.

He was unable to pick up wickets at regular intervals and to go with it, he was pretty expensive in a tournament where the bowlers had a better time than the batsmen. He picked up just 7 wickets in 9 matches at an economy rate of 9.44.

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With over two weeks of some riveting action, the inaugural edition of the Afghanistan Premier League (APL) ended being a huge success. The motive of the league- to help unearth the young talent in the country was definitely fulfilled. It was the Balkh Legends who emerged to be victorious in the competition ultimately.

During the course of the tournament, there were some terrific performances on display. Some experienced players stepped up big time and played unbelievable innings for their respective teams. Also, youngsters, who have got a chance to rub shoulder with some of the finest cricketers from around the world were very impressive.

Players from Afghanistan, mostly aged between 16 to 25, must’ve learnt a lot from this tournament. Going into the World Cup next year, the APL has given the Afghan team a lot of options to explore. On that note, here is the best XI from the tournament which is mostly dominated by the Afghanistan players.

Here is the best XI of APL 2018:

1. Chris Gayle | Balkh Legends

Chris Gayle took some time initially in the tournament to get going. He recorded scores of 20, 20 and 12 in his first three matches making it 52 at an average just above 17. However, just as we were reaching towards the business end of the tournament, this man got into his zone.

He was instrumental in helping his side, Balkh Legends win the title. 80, 73, 54, 56 were his scores in the remaining four games that he played making it four consecutive half-centuries. The Jamaican played critical innings both in the semi-final and the final and ended the tournament as the third highest run scorer. He got 315 runs in 7 innings at an average of 45.

2. Mohammad Shahzad (wk) | Paktia Panthers

Mohammad Shahzad reserved some of his best cricket just for this tournament. He was just terrific with the bat and provided his side, Paktia Panthers with a good start almost every single game except for the semi-final. Although he wasn’t 100 per cent fit, he gave it his all for his team.

He led his side brilliantly and will be donning the gloves in this XI. The wicket-keeper batsman ended the tournament will 344 runs in 9 games at an average of 43. He was the leading run-scorer and was also named the best batsman of the tournament.

3. Darwish Rasooli | Balkh Legends

It was a tough pick to choose Darwish Rasooli over Hazratullah Zazai who scored the only century of the tournament and also hit six sixes in a single over. With 322 runs, Zazai was the second highest scorer but has got most of his runs in just two or three innings. Both these youngsters played some good cricket, but Darwish Rasooli was chosen the ‘Emerging Player of the tournament’.

Just 18 years of age, Rasooli has shown some great maturity. He likes to take the responsibility and play the long innings. The right-handed batsman scored 213 runs in 7 innings and looked impressive. Hence, he will be the one making it to the best XI of APL 2018.

4. Ryan ten Doeschate | Balkh Legends

The 38-year-old Ryan ten Doeschate has had a great run this season. He played a few crucial knocks in the middle order and looked in fine touch. The Netherlands cricketer brought out all his experience under immense pressure situations and bailed his side out of trouble on a few occasions.

Although his strike rate wasn’t too high, it was just enough to meet the requirements of his team. He scored 274 runs in 9 innings at an average of about 55 and has struck two half-centuries. He will be taking this crucial number four slot in this XI.

5. Laurie Evans | Kabul Zwanan

Laurie Evans ended the APL 2018 as the batsman with the highest average. He could play the perfect partner for Ryan ten Doeschate in the middle-order in this side. The 31-year-old has the ability to shift gears quickly and is a very clean hitter of the cricket ball.

With 305 runs in 9 games, he ended as the fourth highest run-getter and was more often than not the rock for Kabul. He scored his runs at an average of 61 which is quite staggering in T20 cricket. Evans also has the ability to roll his arm over when required.

6. Mohammad Nabi (c) | Balkh Legends

Mohammad Nabi had a dream tournament and deservedly won the title. He led his side beautifully throughout and will also lead this XI. Nabi was very calm under crunch situations which was his biggest strength. Although not a completely dominative force either with the bat or the ball, he just contributed enough in both the aspects of the game.

Mohammad Nabi played the finisher’s role for his side with a strike rate of over 200 throughout the season while also taking the new ball up front. He has scored 177 runs in 7 innings with the bat and picked 9 wickets in 10 games this season. 

7. Rashid Khan | Kabul Zwanan

Rashid Khan, the batsman, was more dominant than the bowler in this tournament. In fact, he started off on a pathetic note with the ball and hardly got any wickets. He was winning the games for his team with the willow alone. However, as the series progressed, he caught up got back to his destructive best ending up with 10 wickets.

The leg-spinner scored an unbelievable 173 runs in eight outings at an average of 35 complemented with a mindboggling strike rate which was nearly 200. He smashed 16 sixes with the highest score of 56*. His all-round performance helped him to win the Player of the tournament award.

8. Karim Janat | Kandahar Knights

Karim Janat is the younger brother of Afghan skipper Asghar Afghan. Although the performances of the Kandahar Knights weren’t impressive this season, this 20-year-old young sensation was one of the biggest positives for the team. He has already played 15 international games for Afghanistan and looked to be good.

Former New Zealand skipper Brendon McCullum also rated him very highly. He will be the second all-rounder in this XI. Karim has scored 140 runs in 8 games at an average of 28 and strike rate over 120. He picked 12 wickets in as many games and looks to be a great prospect in the long run.

9. Isuru Udana | Paktia Panthers

The left-arm pacer from Sri Lanka was quite a revelation in this tournament. The 30-year-old, although has played 17 T20Is for his nation failed to create any impact. He made his international debut all the way back in 2009 but only featured in 19 matches overall for Sri Lanka.

However, when he got his opportunity in the APL, Udana ensured that he didn’t leave any stone unturned. He was the highest wicket-taker of the season with 17 scalps in just 8 games. His average of 14 and economy under 8 are very impressive and has made a huge statement ahead of the IPL auctions.

10. Sayed Shirzad | Kandahar Knights

The 24-year-old Sayed Shirzad is making quite a name for himself with his performances. The left-arm pacer last played a T20I for Afghanistan back in 2016. But, just in the 3 T20Is that he featured in, he got 7 wickets to his name and his average of 11 at the international level was impressive.

Playing in the APL this year, he ended up as the second highest wicket-taker with 16 wickets in half the games. However, he was on the expensive side and will have to work on containing the run flow. A few more improvements to his gamecould soon earn Shirzad a place back in the national team.

11. Qais Ahmed | Balkh Legends

There is something special about Afghanistan and its spinners. They keep shelling out highly talented spinners on a regular basis. The 18-year-old Qais Ahmed is the latest of the lot. The young leg-break bowler has played for the Afghanistan U19 team and featured in the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) before playing the APL.

He has got some good variations in his armoury and uses them quite effectively. Ahmed picked 15 wickets this season in 9 games at an average of just 12.53. His 5-wicket haul in the final helped restrict the Kabul Zwanan to a low score and played an important role in helping his side get hold of the glorious trophy.

It was a sensational finish to what has been one heck of a tournament. The Balkh Legends, as many expected considering the squad strength and depth, managed to triumph over a hapless Rashid Khan‘s Kabul Zwanan in the final of the APL 2018 and will go down in the tournament’s history as the first-ever winners.

Batting first, the Zwanan might’ve prepared for a flat deck, but as it turned it, it was anything but a flat deck. Skipper Mohammad Nabi and Aftab Alam were all over Kabul with the new ball and managed to tilt the momentum completely in their favour. Alam got the better of Ronchi whilst Nabi sent Hazratullah Zazai back.

Wayne Parnell tried to stick along and stitched a 38-run stand with Colin Ingram. But these both departed in quick succession, leaving a lot of work to do for Javed Ahmadi and Laurie Evans. Ahmadi played some big shots and kept the scorecard ticking but Qais Ahmad stole the show in the final overs with a mesmerizing spell.

Ahmad chipped in with a five-fer and gave away just 18 runs in his four overs. Courtesy his brilliant spell, Zwanan lost all their momentum in the death overs and could register only 132 runs for the loss of 9 wickets.

Gayle chips in with a crucial contribution

Some players are tailor-made for big games and Christopher Henry Gayle is certainly one of them. Chasing a below-par target, the Legends lost two quick wickets in the first four overs, but the Jamaican maintained composure and measured his way beautifully to a wonderful fifty.

Gayle was dropped twice in the innings when he was beginning to accelerate. This cost Kabul a humongous price and Rashid Khan, who has a safe pair of hands usually, dropped a sitter when Gayle didn’t hit even a single boundary. The 39-year-old hung around with Ryan ten Doeschate to bring the Legends into a good position.

Although Gayle was dismissed after registering a fifty, Ravi Bopara and Ikram Ali Khil added a priceless 34-run stand for the fifth wicket and the final few runs were a mere formality. With one run to get in two overs, Gulbadin Naib walked out, hit the winning six and the party had only begun for the Legends.

Brief Scores

Kabul Zwanan: 132/9 in 20 overs (Javed Ahmadi 32; Qais Ahmad 5/18)

Balkh Legends: 138/6 in 18.1 overs (Chris Gayle 56, Ravi Bopara 32; Wayne Parnell 3/35)

Player of the match: Qais Ahmad

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from Afghanistan Premier League, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.

It is the Balkh Legends who are crowned the champions of Afghanistan Premier League 2018. The side defeated the Kabul Zwanan in a low-scoring encounter to take home the glittery title. The Legends were termed to be the tournament favourites right at the start and have lived up to all of those expectations. And later on, when the Universe Boss Chris Gayle joined in, the side turned out to be an even more dominative force.

It was the big man who was the star with the bat, yet again, on the night of the final. He registered his fourth consecutive half-century as took his team across the line. However, the 18-year-old Qais Ahmed was the show stealer with a five-wicket haul. His bowling spell caught the opposition off guard.

The youngster was adjudged the ‘Man of the Match’ in the massive game. Having lost just two games this season, the Balkh Legends deserved to be the undisputed champions. But, the Kabul Zwanan also played some good brand of cricket until the final. They’d feel they were around 15-20 runs short with the bat.

Qais Ahmed puts up a mighty show with the ball in hand

Rashid Khan went in with the same strategy to bat first after having won the toss. However, the openers Luke Ronchi and Hazratullah Zazai failed to deliver for the team when they were required it the most. As a result, Wayne Parnell, whose job was to tonk a few around going in at number started playing responsibly. But, this didn’t really work out as he ended up consuming a lot of deliveries putting pressure on the others.

Except for Javed Ahmadi who has got everyone interested for a brief while with a few lusty blows, no one else could really deliver. The Balkh Legends restricted the Zwanans to a not-so-competitive 132/9 after 20 overs.

Experienced campaigners Gayle, Bopara absorb all the pressure

The pressure of the final was clearly showing on the Balkh Legends players. They were down to 37/3 in 7 overs and seemed to be under pressure. But, the man for the big occasion turned up. Gayle scored 56 off 34 early in the innings to take the team one step closer to the target. It was Ravi Bopara, who got all his experience to the fore, remained unbeaten on 32 off 29 deliveries and took his team over the line with 11 balls to spare.

Twitterati was overjoyed to see the Balkh Legends do well. They were all praise for the champions. However, they also empathised with Rashid Khan who fought his heart out throughout the tournament despite the odds not going his way. Chris Gayle and Qais Ahmed left the Twitterati with a lot to talk about.

Here is how Twitterati reacted during the final of the APL:

Another T20 trophy! Balkh Legends @APLT20official Champions! 🏆 🥂🍾🙌🏿🤣 #12KRuns pic.twitter.com/lU7HnJIv4p

— Chris Gayle (@henrygayle) October 21, 2018

Congratulations @balkhlegendsoff @APLT20official @ACBofficials pic.twitter.com/hiwZxt8xoi

— Mohammad Nabi (@MohammadNabi007) October 21, 2018

Yes Henry!!! 🙌🏼 Hope you’re well 😁

— Danielle Wyatt (@Danni_Wyatt) October 21, 2018

Congratulations to the @balkh_legend for becoming the champions of the innaugral edition of @APLT20official. Well done to @KabulZwanan and other 3 participant teams..
Worth mentioning the outstanding efforts of @ACBofficials for making it happen and @MashalAtif. pic.twitter.com/s8BnNVRSVo

— Shafiq Stanikzai (@ShafiqStanikzai) October 21, 2018

Everybody know @MohammadNabi007 is the Champion 🏆✌.

Mubarak Sha Nabi Jan Lala#WeyarDaAfghanano #APLT20 #FINAL pic.twitter.com/EoUQ0iTuYa

— Naqeeb Qadri 🇦🇫 (@NaqeebQadri_) October 22, 2018

My team lost but congratulation to #BalkhLegend for wining the @APLT20official 🏆. Sportsmanship for me is when cricketers walks off & it’s difficult to tell if they won or lost. #KabulZwanan carried themselves with pride by securing 2nd Place in 1st #APLFinal. pic.twitter.com/FnGrzkkPir

— Diva Patang (@DivaPatang) October 21, 2018

Kabul was blown away by the brute force of the Legends. As for the impact, it’s for the world to see! #APLT20 @ACBofficials #Afghanistan #T20 pic.twitter.com/wE2GNRKr7p

— Afghanistan Premier League T20 (@APLT20official) October 21, 2018

FROM THE VENUE 📷

The Universe Boss @henrygayle in his last FOUR @APLT20official innings 🙌

Runs: 263
Balls: 134
Average 65.75
Strike Rate: 196.26
Fours: 20
Sixes: 24

Four 50-plus scores in as many innings 👏

The only player in the world with over 12000 T20 Runs 🔥#APLT20 pic.twitter.com/8PmaIrewrN

— Cricingif (@_cricingif) October 21, 2018

12000 runs in T20 cricket for @henrygayle 👏

Phenomenal 🙌 #APLT20 pic.twitter.com/20bAxsor3z

— Balkh Legends (@balkh_legend) October 21, 2018

Champions! 🏆 Congratulations @rtendo27 & @ravibopara for their @APLT20official win with the Balkh Legends! 👏👏👏

📸 #APLT20 pic.twitter.com/JLpn3RWLOI

— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) October 21, 2018

Congratulations on winning the first inaugural #APLT20
Heck of a season
Afghanistan cricket is on rise

— anupam basu (@anupambasu1985) October 22, 2018

Balkh Legends are champions of the inaugural edition of APL. Qais Ahmad & Chris Gayle were key performers for them on the night of Final against Kabul Zwanan. #APLT20

— Dude from Phogatpur (@subedi_parjal) October 22, 2018

Congrats to balkh legends to win the 1st APL 2018 🏆🏆🏆🏆🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🥇🥇🥇🥇
Also well played by kabul zawanan @rashidkhan_19 @GbNaib @aftabalam55786 @MohammadNabi007 @MirwaisAshraf16 pic.twitter.com/M2NpMtDq7R

— Hamid Hassan (@hamidhassanHH) October 21, 2018

Congratulations To Balkh Legends And Captain Mohammad Nabi On
Winning The First Ever #APLT20 Title

Kudos To Runners Up Kabul Zwanan And Their Captain Rashid Khan For Winning Man Of The Tournament !

Well Done @ACBofficials 👌🏻#KabulZwanan #BalkhVsKabul #Balkhlegend pic.twitter.com/CY0dqSgerv

— Dr Khushboo 👩🏻‍⚕️🦄 (@khushikadri) October 21, 2018

Congratulations 🎉
Well done Mohammad Nabi Eisakhil
Outstanding performance

— Ferdous Hadi Momand (@Ferdousmomand) October 21, 2018

One of the biggest games in Afghan cricket history will take place on Sunday as we will be having the first ever Afghanistan Premier League winners. The Balkh Legends will be colliding against the Kabul Zwanan in a battle of supremacy and it is fitting that the two best sides thus far have reached the final.

The last time they met, runs galore and history was re-written. Whilst Nabi’s Balkh registered the highest ever T20 score in UAE by any team, Hazratullah Zazai smashed six sixes in an over and also equalled Chris Gayle and Yuvraj Singh for the fastest T20 fifty of all time.

Once again, these two sides are going to provide a mouth-watering battle at Sharjah and the fans will come in big numbers to witness some of the biggest T20 stars battle it out for glory. Both sides are coming into the final with a thumping win in the semis, which puts either on level terms as far as the odds are concerned.

Pitch

Another flat deck is expected for the final encounter. Both sides made merry of the good hard tracks by batting first in the semifinals, but now they should be ready for any challenge. The weather will remain scorchingly humid and hot in Sharjah and the pitch is expected to remain on the drier side.

Playing Combinations

Balkh Legends

Chris Gayle and Darwish Rasooli will open the innings as Mohammad Nabi might not be willing to change anything from the previous game. Colin Munro, Ryan ten Doeschate, Ravi Bopara and Mohammad Nabi will have one final job to do in the middle order. Qais Ahmad, Gulbadin Naib, Mirwais Ashraf and Aftab Alam will be assisting skipper Nabi in the bowling attack.

Predicted XI: Chris Gayle, Darwish Rasooli, Colin Munro, Ryan ten Doeschate, Ravi Bopara, Mohammad Nabi(c), Ikram Ali Khil(wk), Gulbadin Naib, Mirwais Ashraf, Qais Ahmad, Aftab Alam.

Kabul Zwanan

The destructive combination of Luke Ronchi and Hazratullah Zazai will open the innings with the Proteas Wayne Parnell coming in at three. Colin Ingram, Javed Ahmadi and Laurie Evans provide enough solidity in the middle order for Zwanan. Skipper Rashid Khan will have a lot to do with the bat and ball and will be assisted by Muslim Musa, Fareed Ahmad and Fitraullah Khawari in the bowling unit.

Predicted XI: Luke Ronchi(wk), Hazratullah Zazai, Wayne Parnell, Colin Ingram, Javed Ahmadi, Laurie Evans, Shahidullah Kamal, Rashid Khan(c), Muslim Musa, Fareed Ahmad, Fitraullah Khawari.

Probable Top Performers

Ryan ten Doeschate – Balkh Legends | Colin Ingram – Kabul Zwanan

Broadcast Details

TV – D Sport

Match Timings: 21:30 IST; 20:00 local

The prediction is for Balkh Legends to win the inaugural APL edition in a closely-fought encounter.

Get the latest Cricket News and updates from Afghanistan Premier League, Match Predictions, Fantasy Cricket Tips and lots more on CricTracker.com.