Shpageeza Cricket League

The Shpageeza Cricket League (SCL, also known as the Alokozay Cola Shpageeza Cricket League for sponsorship reasons and Etisalat Sixes T20) (Pashto: شپږیزه کرکټ لیګ) is a Twenty20 cricket tournament organized by the Afghanistan Cricket Board every year in Afghanistan. The Shpageeza tournament is established with eight franchises,[2] 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.

Shpageeza Cricket League
شپږیزه کرکټ لیګ
The logo of the Afghan T20 cricket league.
CountriesAfghanistan Afghanistan
AdministratorAfghanistan Cricket Board,
SCL Department
FormatTwenty20
First edition2013
Latest edition2022
Next edition2023
Tournament formatRound-robin and Playoffs
Number of teamsEight (8)
Current championSpeenghar Tigers (3rd title)
Most successfulSpeenghar Tigers (3rd title)[1]
TVRTA
2022 Shpageeza season
WebsiteCricket.af
Shpageeza.af

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 Speenghar Tigers for the inaugural edition of the tournament. The matches were telecast by Shamshad TV. The second edition in 2014 was conducted with the same number of teams, representing five regions in the country. Mis-e-Ainak Knights won the title championship.[3] Gulbadin Naib was named Man of the tournament; Noor Ali Zadran was the best batsman and Rokhan Barekzai was named the best bowler of this edition.[4] The matches were telecast on 1TV.[5][6] 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).[7][8] In May 2017 however, the ICC recognised Afghanistan's 50-over Ghazi Amanullah Khan Regional One Day Tournament by granting it List A status[9] and matches in the 2017 Shpageeza cricket league are classified as Twenty20 status.

Teams
Location of Shpageeza League 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. In 2021, two new teams, Hindukush Stars and Pamir Zalmi were added.[2] Following teams participate in the Shpageeza T20 Tournament:

Team Region Provinces Home Ground Debut Wins
Amo Sharks
Amo Nahangan		 Amo Balkh, Faryab, Jowzjan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol Balkh Cricket Stadium, Mazar-i-Sharif 2013 N/A
Band-e-Amir Dragons
Band-e-Amir Khamaran		 Band-e-Amir Ghazni, Bamyan, Daykundi, Maidan Wardak Ghazni Cricket Ground, Ghazni 2013 1 (2017)
Boost Defenders
Boost Satunki		 Boost Kandahar, Helmand, Nimroz, Uruzgan, Zabul Kandahar International Cricket Stadium, Kandahar 2013 N/A
Hindukush Stars
Hindukush Stori		 Hindukush Herat, Badghis, Farah, Ghor Herat Cricket Ground, Herat 2022 N/A
Kabul Eagles
Kabul Bazan		 Kabul Kabul Alokozay Kabul International Cricket Ground, Kabul 2015 2 (2016, 2020)
Mis Ainak Knights
Mis Ainak Atalan		 Mis Ainak Khost, Logar, Paktia, Paktika Khost Cricket Stadium, Khost 2013 1 (2014, 2019)
Pamir Zalmi
Pamir Zalmi		 Pamir Kunduz, Badakhshan, Baghlan, Panjshir, Parwan, Takhar Kunduz Cricket Ground, Kunduz 2022 N/A
Speenghar Tigers
Spin Ghar Zmaryan		 Speenghar Nangarhar, Kapisa, Kunar, Laghman, Nuristan[10] Ghazi Amanullah International Cricket Stadium, Jalalabad 2013 3 (2013, 2015, 2022)

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

TV rights

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

The state owned channels RTA and RTA Sports are the broadcasters of the 2019 and 2020 editions.

See also

References
  1. "Shpageeza T20 Tournament 2014". espncricinfo.com. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  2. "د شپږیزې کرکټ لیګ په تاریخ کې د لومړي ځل لپاره اته لوبډلې وپلورل شوې". cricket.af.
  3. "2014 Season Cricket Schedule - Upcoming Cricket Calendar: Shpageeza T20 Tournament, Aug-Sep 2014 (in Afghanistan)". ESPNcricinfo.com. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  4. "Shpageeza Cricket League Betting Tips - Latest Afghan T20 Cup Tips". CricBetLive. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  5. "SCL 2017 Live Streaming & TV Channel, Afghanistan Shpageeza Cricket League 2017". CricketZine. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  6. "1TV Afghanistan Live - About 1TV Afghanistan". Afghan Online TV Channels. 17 September 2014. Retrieved 19 October 2019.
  7. "Afghanistan domestic competitions awarded first-class and List A status". ESPN Cricinfo. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 4 February 2017.
  8. "In Principle Agreement to Constitutional and Financial Changes to ICC". International Cricket Council. 4 February 2017. Retrieved 6 February 2017.
  9. "ICC Recognizes Afghanistan's Domestic ODI Tournament As List A League". Bakhtar News. Retrieved 9 August 2017.
  10. "Domestic Cricket in Afghanistan". Afghanistan Cricket Board. Archived from the original on 6 September 2014. Retrieved 28 August 2014.
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