We Will Send The Team To Sri Lanka Once The Flight Operations Are Resumed: Afghanistan Cricket Board President Hamid Shinwari

Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said that they will send their cricket team to Sri Lanka for the Pakistan ODI series.

There was some good news for Afghanistan cricketers after uncertainty surrounded them after the country was shaken soon after the Taliban seized control.

The atmosphere in Afghanistan Cricket camp was very spirited: Hamid Shinwari

The players have returned to the national capital for training and ACB president Hamid Shinwari said the team was in good spirit and once the flight operations resume in the country, they will send their players to Sri Lanka.

“We will send the team to Sri Lanka once the flight operations are resumed and for that we are in contact with authorities,” Shinwari told AFP.

“The atmosphere in the camp was very spirited,” he added.

Cricket was not an issue during the Taliban regime before: Hamid Shinwari

During the Taliban’s early rule in the 1990s, Sports was controlled by the Islami fundamentalist group as it was seen as a distraction from religious duties.

But Shinwari spoke on different lines as he said the game won’t be affected now as it wasn’t in the previous rule.

“Cricket was not an issue during the Taliban regime before and it will not be an issue now. I don’t remember any incident caused by the Taliban over cricket,” Shinwari said.

Earlier, Pakistan Cricket Board said that the Taliban has given the green light for the ODI series and it will go ahead as it was planned before.

Afghanistan’s prominent players Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi are currently playing in England and Wales Cricket Board’s (ECB) ‘The Hundred’ tournament.

ACB also announced its Twenty20 league – Shpageeza Cricket League, to start from September 10 in Kabul.

“We are committed to doing well and lifting Afghanistan cricket. We have excellent relations with Pakistan and Indian cricket boards and we are part of the international cricket community,” ACB said.

The ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which will be the first bilateral series between the two teams, was shifted from United Arab Emirates (UAE) to Sri Lanka because of IPL 2021.

Also Read: Taliban Authorities Have Given Green Light For Pakistan-Afghanistan ODI Series: PCB