India to host Afghanistan for 3 ODIs in March 2022

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has released its full cricketing schedule for 2022-23, including a three-match ODI series in neighboring India in March next year. In all, the itinerary included 11 ODIs, four T20Is and two Test series further distributed into 18 home and 34 away matches, showing ACB's clear focus on shorter formats.

Afghanistan will host the Netherlands and Australia in January and May-June 2022 respectively. While the Dutch will play three ODIs in the Asian country, the Australians will be part of three T20Is. The T20 Champions canceled the historic hosting of Afghanistan for a one-off Test in November due to their reservations about the political situation in the country.

If the tour goes ahead now, it will be both a cricketing and diplomatic achievement for ACB and the people of the war-torn nation. Afghanistan will tour Zimbabwe (twice), Bangladesh, India, and Ireland in 2022. The Irish will host their Asian counterparts for five ODIs and one Test match in July-August.

Afghanistan will also be involved in the Asia Cup and ICC T20 World Cup in 2022, the schedules of which are yet to be confirmed.

Afghanistan's tour of India will be the first since the Indians hosted Asghar Stanikzai's team for a Test in 2018. The match ended in three days and saw Shikhar Dhawan score 107 and Ravindra Jadeja pick up a six-wicket haul.

In 2023, which is the year of the ODI World Cup in India, all five of Afghanistan's 50-over series' will be three-match ones. This year will be quite epochal for the Asian country as it aspires to host Pakistan, Australia, West Indies and New Zealand between February and September in 2023. In addition, the ACB has already scheduled away tours to Sri Lanka and for the Asia Cup 2023 for the team.

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Negotiations on for rescheduling of Afghanistan's ODI series against Pakistan

The ACB also confirmed in its release that it is in negotiations with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) to reschedule a three-match ODI series which was slated for September 2021 and was indefinitely postponed due to logistics constraints.

ACB is trying to move it to February-March 2023, with confirmation still awaited.