What’s the story?
Cricket could soon return to Pakistan after Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) and Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) signed an agreement for a couple of friendly T20s between the two teams. While the first of those matches will be played in Kabul, the next one is slated to take place in Lahore. The exact dates for the games will be revealed in a few days time.
ACB Chairman Atif Mashal stated, “Pakistan will come to Afghanistan with a message of peace, friendship, and brotherhood. And then our team will go to Pakistan for the same purpose. We really value this relation. We really appreciate PCB’s support in the past.
“Pakistani coaches were with our team like Inzamam (ul Haq), Kabir Khan and Rashid Latif. They really contributed to the development of the Afghanistan national cricket team. Both boards will try our best to keep our relations positive.”
Meanwhile, PCB Chairman Shaharyar Khan affirmed, “Whether it is Rawalpindi, whether it is Peshawar, whether it is Quetta, they will decide after taking a look at the stadiums and whichever is more convenient, they will come and use that stadium as their own.”
Previously...
Pakistan and Afghanistan have played against each other in two ODIs and one T20I thus far. The former has won all three of those international matches which took place between February 2012 and 2014.
The heart of the matter
PCB and ACB conducted a meeting in Lahore to discuss bilateral relations between the two teams. Aside from the two T20s, bilateral series involving 'A' sides and U-16 teams were also agreed upon. They reiterated their stand in helping the development of Afghan cricket by organising training sessions for curators, scorers, umpires and coaches.
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Pertinently, PCB promised to hand over a Pakistani stadium to Afghanistan in order to hold their home matches in the future. Currently, the rapidly emerging team is hosting other sides at the Greater Noida Sports Complex Ground in the Uttar Pradesh state of India.
What’s next?
According to preliminary reports, the 2 T20s could take place in either July or August. After the Champions Trophy, Pakistan had been scheduled to travel to Bangladesh for a tour comprising of 2 Tests, 3 ODIs and a T20I. However, the series was cancelled after discussions between the two boards did not meet fruition.
As a result, Pakistan will be available to play cricket during that time period. On the other hand, the couple of games present an opportunity for Afghanistan to build on their game in the aftermath of the upcoming trip to West Indies.
Author’s Take
Considering the fact that teams across the globe are not willing to tour both countries due to prevailing security concerns, the T20s in Afghanistan and Pakistan should offer a platform for fans in the region to get a taste of international cricket.
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