The Taliban on Tuesday expressed gratitude to India and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for their unwavering support in the development of Afghanistan cricket, following the men's team's historic advance to the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 semifinals in the West Indies.
Afghanistan's journey to the semifinals marks the first time they have reached the knockout stage of an ICC tournament in their history, having secured victories over Bangladesh and Australia. Notably, the BCCI has been instrumental in the rise of Afghan cricket, providing training facilities to the men's team in India since 2015. Afghanistan's "home" matches have been played in Greater Noida, Dehradun, and Lucknow's Ekana Stadium, as they are unable to host matches in their own country due to ongoing conflicts.
In addition to providing training facilities, the Indian government also contributed significantly by assisting in the construction of the Kandahar cricket stadium with a grant of $1 million.
"We are thankful for India’s continuous help in capacity building of the Afghan Cricket Team. We really appreciate that," stated Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's Head of the Political Office, in an interview with WION.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi personally congratulated Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan following the team's victory over Bangladesh, which secured their place in the semifinals. Afghanistan is set to face South Africa in the first semifinal on June 27, while India will play defending champions England in the second match on the same day.
