The Men in Green will play Afghanistan in a three-match Twenty20 International series in March, according to Najam Sethi, the chairman of the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) Management Committee.
The games, which will take place in Sharjah, will aid in making up for Afghanistan’s loss as a result of Australia’s withdrawal.
“Pleased to announce PCB will play 3xT20s against Afghanistan in Sharjah at the end of March to make up for Australia’s decision to cancel the bilateral series against Afghanistan.
Prior to the meeting between Sethi and ACB officials, both teams were scheduled to play a three-match ODI series this year instead of T20Is. However, because Pakistan and Afghanistan had already qualified for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, the format was modified.
“I met with the executive members of Afghanistan Cricket Board and they were asking us to play a (ODI) series but we didn’t find any attraction playing the series,” Sethi said at a press conference last month. “It’s mainly because the series was meant for the [Super League] points, and now no matter who wins it won’t make a difference. So we agreed to play a series of three T20Is in Sharjah just after the PSL subject to government approval. We will share 50% of the revenue from the series equally. And we will jointly outsource the production.”
The three-match one-day international (ODI) series in March was canceled by Cricket Australia on January 12 of this year, citing Taliban efforts to severely limit women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is the only full-member nation without a working women’s team because of limitations imposed by the Taliban-led government. In accordance with official policy, girls are not allowed in parks, middle and high schools, or gyms.
The International Cricket Council will be contacted about the situation, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) stated in a statement (ICC).
Sethi agreed with the decision of the Asian Cricket Council to “give Afghanistan an equal portion of ACC earnings like BCCI, PCB, SLC and BCB.”
