New Delhi: Asghar Ali Raeisi, the coach of Iran's under-19 cricket team, has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and India to construct Chabahar's first stadium and train their players.
Iran has competed in a few international games since the International Cricket Council (ICC) granted all members T20 status against countries like UAE, Kuwait, and Qatar.
The Chabahar Free Trade-Industrial Zone (CFZ), which was founded in 1992, set aside 40 hectares for a sports town, of which 10 hectares would house a cricket stadium with seating for 4,000 spectators. The United States of America (USA) has imposed sanctions on Iran, but the country hasn't been able to collect the funds necessary to finish the stadium.
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“Iranian players have talent to play good cricket internationally. But we fail to train them due to lack of infrastructure. I wanted India to help us to build the stadium so Iranian players can prove their mettle in the world,” Raeisi told.
“We want Indian cricket management BCCI to train our players and umpiring in Iran so our players also can play cricket well. We would also expect Iranian players to be part to IPL matches,” he added.
“Iranian cricketers take inspiration from MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli and other young Indian cricket players,” he revealed.
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Afghanistan's cricket has got help by BCCI's assistance in the past, and many players from the IPL's war-torn nation have played there.
Afghanistan moved into their new home in Greater Noida in 2017, where they even competed internationally against Ireland. They were also given access to Dehradun and Lucknow venues by the cricket organization.
Since then, Afghanistan has produced a wide range of cricket talent, with former captain Mohammad Nabi and spinner Rashid Khan making an impression. Apart from them, other well-known names who have participated in the lucrative T20 competition include Mujeeb Ur Rahaman, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Noor Ahmad, and Naveen ul Haq.
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