 "Afghanistan and Pakistan had recently faced each other in a T20I tri-series in the UAE ahead of last month's Asia Cup. AFP")
Amid the ongoing drama between the BCCI and the PCB at the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) over the Asia Cup trophy, Afghanistan has reiterated its commitment towards an upcoming T20I tri-series in Pakistan, refuting rumours of a pull-out.
According to samaa.tv, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) officials have termed such rumours “completely baseless and misleading” while confirming that the team remains committed to participating in the triangular series that takes place in Pakistan next month and also features Sri Lanka.
Afghanistan currently are playing a white-ball series against Bangladesh in the UAE, in which they suffered a 0-3 whitewash at the hands of the Tigers in the T20Is in Sharjah but have gained an unassailable 2-0 lead in the ODI series that is taking place in Abu Dhabi.
After the Bangladesh series, the Afghans travel to Zimbabwe for a multi-format tour in which they play a solitary Test in Harare that will be followed by three T20Is, the tour spanning a couple of weeks from 20 October to 2 November.
The T20I tri-series in Pakistan will then take place from 17 to 29 November with Rawalpindi hosting the first two matches and the remaining games taking place in Lahore.
Afghanistan and Pakistan had recently been involved in a T20I tri-series ahead of last month’s Asia Cup, albeit in the UAE. Pakistan won the series convincingly after thrashing the Afghans by 75 runs in the final, bowling Rashid and Co out for just 66 after setting them 142 to win.
Impact Shorts
More ShortsIndo-Pak tensions to blame for Afghan withdrawal rumours?
Reports of Afghanistan withdrawing from the Pakistan tri-series come at a time when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) finds itself at loggerheads with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), with the Asia Cup trophy being the bone of contention between the two boards.
The Indian team, after all, had refused to accept the trophy from PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi , who also happens to be the current president of the ACC, after defeating Pakistan in the final of the Asia Cup in Dubai last month.
Not only did the Suryakumar Yadav-led Men in Blue refuse to shake hands with Pakistani cricketers throughout the tournament in protest against the Pahalgam terror attack and the subsequent military standoff between the two nations, they also took offence to Naqvi’s controversial social media posts that were intended to mock the Indian armed forces.
Naqvi, who also happens to be Pakistan’s Interior Minister, reportedly took the trophy with him to his hotel room following the Indian team’s refusal to accept it from him, and has since refused to hand it over either to the Men in Blue or the BCCI , insisting only he is authorised to do so.
The PCB chief has gone to the extent of locking the trophy in the ACC headquarters in Dubai and ordering the silverware to not be moved without his permission.
Given Kabul’s close ties with New Delhi, with Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi currently on a visit to India , there were speculations that the Rashid Khan-led Afghans might give the upcoming series a miss. That, however, doesn’t appear to be case for now.