LAHORE: The upcoming three-match One-day International (ODI) series between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been shifted to Pakistan from Sri Lanka, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Hamid Shinwari confirmed.
According to ESPNcricinfo, logistical challenges due to the absence of flights out of Kabul and a COVID-19 lockdown in Sri Lanka were the reason behind the decision.
The Afghanistan team was supposed to travel to Pakistan by road, then fly to Dubai, and then on to Colombo for the series, but the circuitous route was throwing up logistical challenges because of the Covid-19 protocols.
The Pakistan government has already issued visas to the Afghanistan squad for the series next month. Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry shared the news on his official Twitter account.
“Pakistan has issued visas to the Afghan cricket team, we hope and pray that the Afghan cricket team will bring smiles on the faces of its people,” tweeted Fawad.
پاکستان نے افغانستان کی کرکٹ ٹیم کو ویزہ جاری کر دیا ہے، ہم امید اور دعا کرتے ہیں کہ افغان کرکٹ ٹیم اپنے عوام کی چہروں پر مسکراہٹیں لائے گی…… “زما دا اخلاص نہ ڈکے نیکے حیلے اؤ دعاگانے تاسو سرا دی۔” #AfganistanCricketTeam
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 22, 2021
The Afghan squad will now travel to Pakistan later this week, with the ACB yet to announce the venue(s) for the ODIs starting September 3. It will still remain a “home” series for Afghanistan, though was originally scheduled to be played in the UAE.
Afghanistan’s 17-member squad for the tour had assembled in Kabul last week to train amid the Taliban’s takeover of the country. Pakistan have, however, delayed the announcement of their squad.
Pakistan’s four premier all-format players – Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shaheen Afridi and Hasan Ali – are expected to be rested for the series to manage their workload ahead of the T20 World Cup.
