Nov 05: The Afghanistan Premier League T20 Player Draft 2026 concluded at Le Méridien Dubai Hotel & Conference Centre on Tuesday, with all five franchises completing their squads for the upcoming season. ITW Universe is managing the league, overseeing its management as the APL prepares for its return.
Kandahar Warriors made left-arm fast bowler Muhammad Amir the first pick of the draft, adding him to a side led by Afghan Icon Rashid Khan Arman. A total of 90 players were selected across 18 rounds from a draft pool of 462 players, bringing together leading Afghan cricketers and prominent international names. The inaugural season of the revived APL is scheduled to begin on 27 December in the United Arab Emirates.
The Platinum selections featured England all-rounder Moeen Ali for Team Balkh, England batter Alex Hales for Nangarhar Cosmic, West Indies wicketkeeper-batter Johnson Charles for Akcel United Kabul and Sri Lanka all-rounder Wanindu Hasaranga for Team Paktia.
The franchises also secured several established international and Afghan players, including Shakib Al Hasan, Dushmantha Chameera, Luke Wood, Colin Munro, David Wiese, Kamindu Mendis, Kusal Perera, Tymal Mills, Imran Tahir, Dwaine Pretorius, George Munsey and Gerhard Erasmus. Fifteen young Afghan players were also selected across the Emerging rounds, adding further depth to the five squads.
With all five franchises now having completed their squads, the APL T20 is set to bring together established international stars, Afghanistan's leading cricketers and emerging local talent when the tournament begins on 27 December in the UAE.
Full Squads
Kandahar Warriors: Rashid Khan Arman (Afghan Icon), Muhammad Amir (Platinum), Mohammad Nabi Eisakhil, Joe Clarke (England), Karim Janat, Hassan Eisakhil, Farid Ahmad Malik, Kusal Perera (Sri Lanka), Tymal Mills (England), Mohammad Shahzad, Muslim Musa, Dwaine Pretorius (South Africa), George Munsey (Scotland), Allah Noor Naseri, Numan Shah Agha, Usman Khan, Naseer Khan Maroofkhil, Shawkat Zaman Momand and Mohammad Ibrahim Masood.
Team Balkh: Ibrahim Zadran (Afghan Icon), Moeen Ali (England), Allah Mohammad Ghazanfar, Luke Wood (England), Gulbadin Naib, Sediqullah Atal, Muhammad Waseem (UAE), Afsar Khan Zazai, Abdullah Ahmadzai (Wildcard), Thomas Moores (England), Zia ur Rehman Akbar, Abdullah Tarakhail, Colin Ackermann (Netherlands), Mohammad Waqar Salamkheil, Salaam Khan Ahmadzai, Azizullah Miakhil, Abdul Aziz Khan, Qais Ahmad and Christopher Wood.
Nangarhar Cosmic: Rahmat Shah Zurmatai (Afghan Icon), Alex Hales (England), Darwish Rasooli, Shakib Al Hasan (Bangladesh), Kamindu Mendis (Sri Lanka), Ziawrahman Sharifi, Mohammad Akram Zazai, Ikram Alikhil, Junaid Siddique (UAE), Zahir Khan Pakten, Ismatullah Alam, Mohammad Yamin Ahmadzai, Amir Jangoo (West Indies), Shafiqullah Ghafari, Faisal Khan Shinozada, Bahar Ali Shinwari, Islam Khan Zazai, Aftab Alam and Zubairullah Akbari.
Akcel United Kabul: Azmatullah Omarzai (Afghan Icon), Johnson Charles (West Indies), Fazalhaq Farooqi, Dushmantha Chameera (Sri Lanka), Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Imran Mir, Sharafuddin Ashraf, D’Arcy Short (Australia), Shamim Hossain (Bangladesh), Imran Tahir (South Africa), Hazratullah Zazai, Dawood Ahmadzai, Abdul Rahman Rahmani, Mohammad Saleem Safi, Uzairullah Niazai, Khalid Ahmadzai, Keramatullah, Said Bahir Shah Mahbob and Curtis Campher (Ireland).
Team Paktia: Rahmanullah Gurbaz (Afghan Icon), Wanindu Hasaranga (Sri Lanka), Noor Ahmad Lakanwal, Nahid Rana (Bangladesh), Ijaz Ahmadzai, Farmanullah Safi, Colin Munro (New Zealand), David Wiese (Namibia), Hashmatullah Shahidi, Hasibullah Lakanwal, Nangeyalia Khan, Gerhard Erasmus (Namibia), Olly Stone (England), Masoodulrahman Gurbaz, Abid Mohammadi, Khalid Taniwal, Wahidullah Zadran, Sediqullah Pacha and Khalil Ahmad Gurbaz.
