The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has proposed a plan to play a tri-series with Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as A team tours to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe.
ACB Chairman Mirwais Ashraf and CEO Naseeb Khan were in Colombo for the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s annual Board Meeting. They also met with representatives from Cricket South Africa, Cricket New Zealand, and Cricket West Indies to discuss the possibility of a white-ball series before the Champions Trophy 2025.
In a press release, the ACB stated, “Afghanistan Cricket Board’s Chairman, Mr. Mirwais Ashraf, and CEO, Mr. Naseeb Khan, attended the ICC Board Meeting in Sri Lanka, where they engaged with representatives from other member countries. During the meeting, ACB's leadership presented recent achievements, activities, and future plans for the Afghanistan Cricket Board. They also discussed potential white-ball bilateral cricket with Cricket South Africa, Cricket New Zealand, and Cricket West Indies ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.”
The discussions also covered A team tours to Bangladesh and Zimbabwe and the possibility of a Youth Tri-Series against Pakistan and the UAE, with dates and venues to be confirmed.
“The ICC leadership and meeting participants praised ACB and AfghanAtalan’s recent accomplishments in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2024,” the ACB added, “highlighting the team's remarkable performances, their significant contribution to entertaining fans worldwide, and the development of cricket in Afghanistan.”
Under the leadership of Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan cricket team recently made headlines in the T20 World Cup 2024 by defeating teams like Australia and New Zealand and reaching the semi-finals for the first time in an ICC event. Although they lost to South Africa in a one-sided semi-final, Afghanistan showcased their prowess with aggressive cricket throughout the tournament.