Cricket: Afghans to play four Bay Oval games

B J Watling is one of a number of Northern Districts Black Caps who could be available to play Afghanistan in two ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 warm-up matches in early-October. Photo / Joel Ford

Recent history between New Zealand and Afghanistan is highlighted by our Defence Force personnel being deployed there, but a force of a different kind will make the reverse trip.

Afghanistan will play two 50-over matches against Auckland and Northern Districts apiece at Bay Oval in early-October as part of a series of warm-up matches for next year's ICC Cricket World Cup.

The fixtures, announced by the ICC 200 days before next year's world cup, are part of a schedule that will also see Ireland, Scotland and the United Arab Emirates travel to New Zealand and Australia as part of the ICC's High Performance Programme.

Teams will have access to specialist coaches and former players from both countries to support training and planning sessions.

The team schedules have been developed in consultation with the individual member boards, as well as Cricket Australia, New Zealand Cricket and their respective state and provincial associations, and will provide local fans with an early taste of what to expect next year.

ICC chief executive David Richardson said the tour was crucial in boosting the minnows' prospects at next year's pinnacle event.

"Helping cricket's top emerging nations to perform on the global stage is a key part of the ICC's High Performance Programme, and these tours will provide a great opportunity for the four teams to gain valuable knowledge and experience of the conditions they will face during the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015," he said.

"All sides have a strong schedule of matches against high-level opposition, and we are grateful to Cricket Australia, New Zealand Cricket and their state and provincial associations for supporting the programme so fully."

Afghanistan will make their maiden appearance at a world cup after finishing second behind Ireland in the Pepsi ICC WCLC. The side arrive in Perth on September 14, the venue for their tournament clash against hosts Australia, before travelling to Mount Maunganui.

Captain Mohammad Nabi knows how important it is for his side to play in the conditions they will encounter next year.

"It is a huge honour for Afghanistan to be playing in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015," he said. "We will do our best to justify our qualification to the tournament and that is where this pre-tournament tour will prove very useful."

The announcement represents a further coup for Bay Oval, which by the end of October would have hosted New Zealand, South Africa, Afghanistan, Canada, The Netherlands, Uganda, Namibia, Kenya, UAE and Nepal in 2014.