Uncovers a U.S. Government Funded Afghan Cricket League

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Rand Paul today released the fifth edition to ‘The Waste Report.’ ‘The Waste Report’ is an ongoing project to catalog egregious examples of wasteful spending throughout the U.S. government.
 
The newest edition of the ‘The Waste Report’ uncovers a U.S government funded cricket league in Afghanistan. Grant data from the U.S. State Department shows the Afghan cricket league will cost American taxpayers half a million dollars this year alone.
 
‘The Waste Report’ can be found HERE or below.
 
The U.S. State Department Waste – Afghanistan Cricket League
 
Imagine if the federal government funded a major U.S. broadcaster to put on a baseball tournament, featuring MLB players, and all in the name of combating gang violence?
 
Surprisingly, the U.S. State Department (State) is doing almost exactly that in Afghanistan, by propping up the Sixers Cricket League. Last year the federal government gave One TV, a for-profit Afghan television station, roughly $350,000, to “support the development of a national cricket league [principally a tournament] in Afghanistan,” In addition to sponsoring the league, this grant helped train personnel on sports broadcasting and production. [1]
 
Just last month, State published a new grant opportunity to put on the same tournament this year and again, includes training “Afghans in the production of professional sports broadcasts (specifically cricket).”  This time, the grant is for up to $500,000 with an option for a one year extension. Applicants must demonstrate their ability to work with the Afghan Cricket Board (which is the sport’s governing body), but also One TV, as they retain the exclusive broadcasting rights to the tournament. [2]
 
The idea behind the cricket league is to provide an outlet for young men who may be susceptible to extremism in Afghanistan.[3]  But instead of something like a little league, these at-risk youths mostly get to watch on TV, which may be hard given only 0.003 percent of the population have TVs.[4] Instead, the league is comprised of five regional teams[5] and is to feature well-known Afghan cricket players such as Mohammad Nabi Eisakhel, who last year captained the Bandi Ameer Dragon as well as the successful Afghan National Team.[6]   
 

[1] https://www.usaspending.gov/transparency/Pages/TransactionDetails.aspx?RecordID=27765306-04D5-EC2A-EF26-B66BD60929B9&AwardID=7960995&AwardType=G
[2] Department of State, Men’s National Cricket League in Afghanistan, Kabul, Afghanistan. April 2015, Grant Id No. SCAKAB-15-CA-008-SCA-04222015
[3] Ibid
[4]  Basic Data- Afghanistan, PressReferance.com, Web: May 2015; http://www.pressreference.com/A-Be/Afghanistan.html
[5] Ibid
[6] http://1tvnews.af/en/news/sport/11849-cricket-afghan-sixer-tournament-commences-bandi-ameer-dragons-vs-spin-ghar-tigers