Afghanistan to travel Sri Lanka for ODI series against Pakistan, confirms ACB

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) are hoping that the team will travel to Sri Lanka to play a three-match ODI series against Pakistan. The series was put under jeopardy when the Taliban swept to take control of Afghanistan. The series is set to begin on September 1, and already the Sri Lankan board have started to make the required arrangements for the Afghanistan vs Pakistan series.

Few of the Afghan players like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi had also pleaded for peace in their country, but to no avail, as the Taliban has taken control and has made life miserable for the people residing there. Nabi and Rashid are currently playing the Hundred and are set to play the three ODIs against Pakistan.

With Afghan players yet to give their nod for the series, the possibility of the series starting on September 1 is too under doubt. “It is expected that the Afghan national cricket team will soon travel to Sri Lanka to play three international one-day matches against Pakistan,” ACB said in a social media post.

Rashid Khan worried about his family back home

Rashid who is playing for Trent Rockets in the Hundred is worried about his family back home, owing to the Taliban creating havoc in Afghanistan. He also shared his views to former England cricketer Kevin Pietersen as to how difficult it is to shift his family from the country owing to the tense situation.

“There’s a lot of things that are happening at home. We had a long chat here on the boundary talking about it and, he’s worried: he can’t get his family out of Afghanistan and, there’s a lot of things happening for him,” said Pietersen said on Sky Sports.

Despite all this, Rashid has bowled superbly well for Trent Rockets and is the joint second-highest wicket-taker in the tournament. Pietersen feels the leg-spinner’s story is one of the heartwarming stories in the Hundred.

“For him to turn up and put on a performance like this under the pressure that he is currently under…for him to be able to forget that stuff and navigate his story and continue the momentum that he has — I think that’s probably one of the most heart-warming stories of this Hundred so far,” added Pietersen.