International Cricket Council has announced financial help to Afghanistan for the promotion of cricket in the country. Afghan Cricket Board Chief Noor Mohammad Murad said on Thursday that the council has allocated 4 lakh 22,000 thousand dollars for the development of the National Cricket Academy in Kabul. He also said that a delegation of the council will visit Afghanistan to take stock of the cricketing activities in the country. Cricket is the most popular sports in the war ravaged Afghanistan. It was introduced there by Afghan refugees who had left their country after Soviet invasion in 1979. When these refugees returned to their country after the fall of the Taliban in 2001, they brought the sport of cricket with them. Afghanistan became an affiliate member of the International Cricket Council in 2001. Afghanistan's national cricket team is now working hard to qualify for the 2015 World Cup.