KABUL/ABU DHABI - The player draft ceremony for the second edition of the Afghanistan Premier League is scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board said. Approximately 1,500 players registered for the tournament across different categories, with 450 to 462 subsequently shortlisted following an evaluation process. The selected players will be presented to the five competing franchises during the ceremony. Veteran leg-spinner Rashid Khan will lead the Kandahar Warriors, all-rounder Azmatullah Omarzai will captain Ekcel United Kabul, Rahmanullah Gurbaz will captain Nangarhar, Rahmat Shah will captain Paktia, and Ibrahim Zadran will lead Balkh. The APL's second edition is scheduled to take place in December 2026. Last week, the ACB announced the captains and head coaches for the five teams ahead of the draft. The ceremony is set to begin at 3:00pm local time in the UAE. Five franchises will compete in the tournament following the selection of players across categories including Platinum, Diamond, Gold, Silver and Emerging.