After Afghanistan rise, U-19 coach appeals to BCCI to help cricket flourish in Iran | Cricket

Iran U-19 coach Asghar Ali Raeisi appealed to the BCCI, which is probably one the most influential cricket body, for financial assistance to build a world-class stadium in Chabahar. Raeisi also asked the BCCI to train budding cricketers in the region in the hope that they will make it to the lucrative Indian Premier League (IPL).

The coach also mentioned that Indian cricket idols MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have a huge fan base among cricket enthusiasts in the country. Talking A YEARthe coach also mentioned that he sometimes uses videos of Dhoni and Kohli to help Iranian cricketers understand the game better.

Iranian cricketers get inspiration from MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and other young Indian cricketers, Raeisi said.

Raeisi shed light on the cricketing talent in Iran and felt that the players are fulfilling their potential due to the lack of proper infrastructure and training facilities.

Iranian players have the ability to play good cricket internationally. But we are not training them due to lack of infrastructure. I wanted India to help us build a stadium so that Iranian players can prove their skills in the world, Raeisi said.

We want Indian cricket management BCCI to train our players and umpires in Iran so that our players can also play cricket well, he added.

He believes the aid would lead to Iranian players participating in IPL matches.

People also like the Indian cricket team and fans in Iran were disappointed when India did not win the recent World Test Championship (WTC) final at the Oval in June.

According to the content report A YEARChabahar Free Zone (CFZ) has earmarked ten acres of land for the construction of a 4,000-seater cricket stadium.

The BCCI has helped cricket flourish in Afghanistan in the past, with a number of players from the war-torn country taking part in the IPL.

In 2017, Afghanistan got their home ground in Greater Noida where they even played international matches against Ireland. The cricket body also offered them places in Dehradun and Lucknow.

Afghanistan has since produced a host of cricketing talents such as spinner Rashid Khan and former skipper Mohammad Nabi leaving a permanent mark. Apart from them, Mujeeb Ur Rahaman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad and Naveen ul Haq are other popular names who have participated in the lucrative T20 league.