A number of lawmakers and officials from Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Wednesday inaugurated work on a standard cricket ground and cricket academy in Nangarhar.

The project, which will cost $2.5 million USD, has been funded by the ACB. The project would be built on five hectares of land, ACB said.

“This ground is not only a cricket ground but it will have a professional academy. It will have indoor and outdoor facilities and will have a pool and a rehabilitation center. This ground is in zonal level,” the ACB director Atif Mashal said at the gathering.

Meanwhile, the Meshrano Jirga Speaker Fazl Hadi Muslimyar and Nangarhar officials said the cricket ground is a step forward in developing cricket in the country.

“Cricket brings hope, joy and happiness to the people and it flies the Afghan flag all over the world,” Muslimyar said.

“This ground is for the entire country. It is based on international norms. International players from all over the world will be able to play on this ground in the future,” Nangarhar governor Gulab Mangal said.

Nangarhar has another cricket ground – belonging to the ACB – besides other private academies and grounds. 

Recently a number of cricket grounds were built across the country but the projects were reportedly slammed by the people after low quality materials were used to construct the grounds.