WCricket in Afghanistan is the most popular sport in the country, which is represented internationally by the Afghanistan national cricket team. Afghanistan's border with the Test playing nations of Pakistan has helped the game to take root. Inzamam ul Haq has coached the Afghan national team in the past. Afghanistan became a full member of the International Cricket Council on 22 June 2017, entitling the national team to participate in official Test matches.
WThe Afghanistan men's national team represents Afghanistan in international cricket.
WAmo Sharks or Amo Region is one of six regional first-class cricket teams in Afghanistan. The regional side represents the following provinces in the north of Afghanistan: Balkh, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Jowzjan, Faryab, Sar-i-Pul, Samangan, Takhar and Baghlan. The team is named after the Amo, a river in northern Afghanistan and Central Asia.
WBand-e-Amir Dragons or Band-e-Amir Region is one of six regional first-class cricket teams in Afghanistan. In the 2017 Shpageeza team auction, the Band-e-Amir Dragons team was bought by Paragon Business Group, a Finance and investment company, and it will play as the Paragon Band-e-Amir Dragons in this competition. The Region represents the following provinces in the centre of Afghanistan: Ghazni, Bamyan, Parwan, Panjshir, Daykundi, and Wardak. The team is named after Band-e Amir, a series of six deep blue lakes in Bamyan Province.
WBoost Defenders or Boost Region is one of six regional first-class cricket teams in Afghanistan. The region represents the following provinces in the south and west of Afghanistan: Kandahar, Helmand, Herat, Farah, Ghor, Badghis, Urozgan, Nimroz and Zabul. The team is named after Bōst, the historical name of Lashkargah city in Helmand Province.
WKabul Eagles is one of six regional level first-class cricket teams in Afghanistan. The team, based in the country's capital city Kabul, was created to join the five regional sides in the Ahmad Shah Abdali 4-day Tournament, which has first-class status from 2017 onwards. The Kabul team also compete in the Afghan Shpageeza Cricket League Twenty20 competition using the name Kabul Eagles. They were the 2016 champions in the league.
WMis Ainak Knights or Mis Ainak Region is one of six regional first-class cricket teams in Afghanistan. The region represents the following provinces in the southeast of Afghanistan, to the south of the capital Kabul: Khost, Logar, Paktia and Paktika. The team is named after Mes Aynak, an archaeological site in Logar Province.
WOut of the Ashes is a 2010 British documentary film directed by Tim Albone, Lucy Martens and Leslie Knott. It documents the story of the Afghanistan national cricket team's qualification for the 2010 ICC World Twenty20 tournament.
WThe Shpageeza Cricket League 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.
WSpin Ghar Tigers or Spin Ghar Region is one of six regional first-class cricket teams in Afghanistan. The region represents the following provinces in the east of Afghanistan, to the east of the capital Kabul: Nangarhar, Laghman, Kapisa, Kunar and Nuristan. The team is named after Spīn Ghar, a mountain range in the region.