Afghan cricket team in Pakistan in 2021–22

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Afghan cricket team in Pakistan in 2021–22
  Flag of Pakistan.svg Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg
  Pakistan Afghanistan
Dates 1 – 5 September 2021
Captains Hashmatullah Shahidi
One Day International series

The Afghanistan cricket team were scheduled to tour Pakistan in September 2021 to play three One Day International (ODI) matches.[1] The ODI series would have formed part of the inaugural 2020–23 ICC Cricket World Cup Super League.[2][3]

Originally the matches were scheduled to take place in the United Arab Emirates.[4] However, due to the rescheduled matches of the 2021 Indian Premier League (IPL) taking place in the UAE,[5] the series was moved to Sri Lanka in July 2021.[6] In August 2021, the series was moved again, this time to Pakistan, as a result of the Taliban offensive in Afghanistan[7] and an increase of COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka.[8] On 23 August 2021, the CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), Hamid Shinwari, confirmed that the tour had been postponed, due to the situation in Afghanistan, the logistics in travelling, and for the welfare of the team.[9] Both cricket boards agreed to reschedule the matches for some point during 2022.[10]

Background[]

In June 2021, the Afghanistan team took part in a 15-day training camp at the Kabul International Cricket Stadium to prepare for the series.[11]

In August 2021, concerns were raised regarding the series going ahead after Afghanistan was brought under the control of the Taliban.[12] At the time of the offensive, Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi were both playing in The Hundred in England.[13] However, most of the other players were in Afghanistan, with efforts being made with regards to their whereabouts.[14] Despite the upheaval in the country, Hamid Shinwari said that training would resume in Afghanistan and that sport would continue as before.[15] Shinwari later stated that that the ACB were committed to sending a team to Sri Lanka, and they would fly out as soon as a flight was available.[16] A contingency plan outlined by the ACB, would involve travelling to Pakistan, then Dubai, before flying on to Colombo.[17]

A further issue arose when Sri Lanka imposed a ten-day lockdown in the country in late August 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[18] Salman Butt, a former Pakistan international cricketer, suggested that the series could be played in Quetta,[19] as part of the ACB's contingency plan is to drive the Afghan national team into Pakistan before making a flight to Sri Lanka.[20] On 21 August 2021, the Afghan team began a training session at the Kabul International Cricket Stadium.[21] On 23 August 2021, the venue of the series was changed again,[22] with the matches being moved to Pakistan due to logistical issues.[23]

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced that Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan and Hasan Ali would not take part in the series, with the aim to manage their workloads ahead of the 2021 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.[24]

Squads[]

 Pakistan  Afghanistan[25]

Afghanistan also named Yousuf Zazai, Mohammad Saleem, Sharafuddin Ashraf and Qais Ahmad as reserve players for the series.[26]

ODI series[]

1st ODI[]

1 September 2021
Pakistan 
v
 Afghanistan

2nd ODI[]

3 September 2021
Pakistan 
v
 Afghanistan

3rd ODI[]

5 September 2021
Pakistan 
v
 Afghanistan

References[]

  1. ^ "Afghanistan-Pakistan ODI series postponed indefinitely". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  2. ^ "Schedule for inaugural World Test Championship announced". International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 January 2019.
  3. ^ "Men's Future Tours Programme" (PDF). International Cricket Council. Retrieved 11 October 2019.
  4. ^ "Afghanistan vs Pakistan moved to Sri Lanka from UAE". CricBuzz. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  5. ^ "Afghanistan vs Pakistan ODIs shifted from UAE to Hambantota". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 24 July 2021.
  6. ^ "Outcomes of PCB Cricket Committee meeting". Pakistan Cricket Board. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Pak vs Afg ODI series to be held in Pakistan". Geo News. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Afghanistan's home series moved to Pakistan from Sri Lanka". Sport Star. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Afghanistan-Pakistan ODI series postponed". Sport Star. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Pakistan-Afghanistan confirm ODI series postponement". Pakistan Cricket Board. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Training camp started for national players in Kabul". Afghanistan Cricket Board. Retrieved 13 June 2021.
  12. ^ "Sri Lanka 'ready' to host Afghan-Pakistan T20 series". Eastern Eye. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  13. ^ "Afghanistan-Pakistan cricket series in doubt after Taliban takeover". Geo TV. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  14. ^ "Doubts over Pakistan-Afghanistan cricket series after Taliban takeover". Dawn. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  15. ^ "Avishka Gunawardene appointed Afghanistan batting coach for Pakistan ODIs". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 18 August 2021.
  16. ^ "Afghanistan's series with Pakistan to go ahead despite Taliban's takeover of the country". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  17. ^ "Plan B for Afghanistan: Travel to Sri Lanka via Pakistan and Dubai". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 21 August 2021.
  18. ^ "Pak vs Afg ODI series in peril as Sri Lanka imposes nationwide lockdown". Geo TV. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  19. ^ "Pak vs Afg: Salman Butt wants PCB, ACB to host ODI series in Quetta". Geo TV. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  20. ^ "Azizullah Fazli returns as Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 22 August 2021.
  21. ^ "Afghanistan cricketers resume training in Kabul for Pakistan ODI series - in pictures". The National. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  22. ^ "Reports: Afghanistan vs Pakistan ODI series shifted from Sri Lanka to Pakistan". CricTracker. 23 August 2021. Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  23. ^ Staff, C. A. "Pakistan vs Afghanistan ODI Series Shifted To Pakistan, Confirms ACB". Retrieved 23 August 2021.
  24. ^ "Babar Azam, Shaheen Afridi, Mohammad Rizwan, Hasan Ali set to be rested for Afghanistan ODIs". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 19 August 2021.
  25. ^ "Afghanistan announce new-look side for Pakistan ODIs". CricBuzz. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
  26. ^ "Fazalhaq Farooqi, Noor Ahmad in Afghanistan squad for their first bilateral ODI series against Pakistan". ESPN Cricinfo. Retrieved 23 July 2021.
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