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The limited-overs series between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been postponed. Earlier, there were reports of the series being moved from Sri Lanka to Pakistan after the Sri Lankan government imposed a 10-day nationwide lockdown in their country. However, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Hamid Shinwari informed that it was not possible to hold the series in current circumstances.
ACB CEO Hamid Shinwari said, "We have mutually decided to postpone the Afghanistan-Pakistan ODI series, keeping the conditions and the mental health of the players in mind.”
After Taliban seized control in Afghanistan, there was a lot of speculation around the future of the series. But both Afghanistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board were hopeful that the series will go ahead as it was planned before. With Afghanistan experiencing political turmoil, there are no commercial flights available from Kabul city. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) faced logistical issues in sending the team to Hambantatota - where the series was scheduled to be held from September 3.
It is not possible to hold the series: ACB CEO
The series was to be the first bilateral series between Pakistan and Afghanistan, as both of them have faced each other only in tournaments like World Cup and Asia Cup before.
"The Pakistan Cricket Board and the Sri Lanka Cricket Board had supported us fully in terms of helping us with hosting the series, but in the current scenario, it is not possible to hold the series," Shinwari added.
Earlier, Pakistan had also issued visas to Afghan cricketers. Pakistan's Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry had announced on Sunday, saying that he hoped the series will bring "smiles to the faces of their people".