2018 Afghanistan Premier League


The 2018 Afghanistan Premier League was the inaugural and only edition of the Afghanistan Premier League, a professional Twenty20 cricket league established by the Afghanistan Cricket Board. The tournament took place from 5 to 21 October 2018 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.
Balkh Legends defeated Kabul Zwanan by 4 wickets in the final to become the inaugural champions. Rashid Khan was named the Player of the Tournament.

Background

The tournament was established by the Afghanistan Cricket Board in 2018. In August 2018, the International Cricket Council approved plans for the tournament. Due to security concerns in Afghanistan, the ACB decided to host the inaugural edition in the United Arab Emirates. The Sharjah Cricket Stadium was selected as the sole venue for the matches.
The Gulbahar Group was confirmed as the title sponsor, leading the league to be officially named the Gulbahar Afghanistan Premier League.

Controversy and Anti-Corruption

The 2018 season was investigated by the ICC Anti-Corruption Unit. Afghan player Shafiqullah Shafaq was subsequently handed a six-year ban after admitting to match-fixing charges during the 2018 APL. Additionally, icon player Mohammad Shahzad reported a spot-fixing approach to the ACU during the tournament's league phase.

Auctions and personnel signings

The player draft for the inaugural season was held on 10 September 2018 in Dubai. Over 350 players from across the globe were included in the draft pool.
The franchises operated with a salary cap between US$555,000 and US$700,000 to secure a squad of 17 to 20 players. Players were categorized into five tiers: Icon, Diamond, Gold, Silver, and Emerging.

Salary brackets

Icon Players: US$100,000Diamond: US$75,000 / US$60,000 Gold: US$50,000 / US$40,000 Silver: US$30,000 / US$20,000 ICC Associate: US$15,000Emerging: US$10,000

Marquee signings

Five "Icon Players" were selected by the franchises during the draft:

Player participation

The league involved up to forty overseas players, though several boards denied permissions. The Pakistan Cricket Board announced it would not issue No Objection Certificates to active Pakistani players for the tournament. Similarly, the Bangladesh Cricket Board denied NOCs to players like Soumya Sarkar, preventing them from joining their respective franchises.

Squads

The following squads were finalized for the tournament.

Venue

All matches were held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the United Arab Emirates.
Sharjah, UAE
Sharjah Cricket Stadium

Capacity: 16,000
Matches: 19

League stage

The fixture was released in September 2018.
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Knockout stage

Bracket



Broadcasting

The inaugural edition was broadcast live on the following channels and platforms:
Country/RegionTelevisionInternet
AfghanistanTOLO TV
Lemar TV		YouTube
IndiaDSportJioTV
PakistanGeo Super
PTV Sports		Geo Super App
United KingdomFreeSportsPremier Player
United States
Canada		Willow TVWillow TV Online
Middle East
North Africa		OSN SportsWavo
South AfricaSuperSportSuperSport Play
Rest of the World-YouTube

Statistics

Most runs

  • Source:
WicketsPlayerTeam
17Isuru UdanaPaktia Panthers87.654/38
16Sayed ShirzadKandahar Knights87.824/19
15Qais AhmadBalkh Legends96.265/18
14Mirwais AshrafBalkh Legends97.974/19
13Wayne ParnellKabul Zwanan108.963/35

  • Source: