Afghanistan-Pakistan ODI series postponed

Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the postponement of the series

(Web Desk) – The three-match One Day International series between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been postponed.

With no commercial flights operating from Kabul due to the current situation in the country, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) faced logistical issues in sending the team for the series.

"After much deliberation, we have mutually decided to postpone the tournament, keeping the conditions and the mental health of the players in mind," ACB CEO Hamid Shinwari said.

Earlier, several media reports claimed that the series will be shifted to Pakistan, but Shinwari said that it was not possible to hold the series in current circumstances.

"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 said.

The series is part of the ICC s qualifying league for the 2023 World Cup, scheduled in India. "We have kept ICC in the loop and we will look at a possible date sometime before the 2023 World Cup," the CEO said.

On the other hand, Pakistan Cricket Board confirmed the postponement of the series on its official twitter handle.

“The PCB has accepted ACB s request to postpone next month’s ODI series due to players’ mental health issues, disruption in flight operations in Kabul, lack of broadcast facilities and increased Covid-19 cases in Sri Lanka. Both boards will try to reschedule the series in 2022,” the PCB wrote.

With the T20 World Cup scheduled in October-November, Afghanistan does not have much competitive cricket, but the Board is trying hard to host a tri-series, involving Australia and West Indies before the T20 World Cup at a neutral venue.