KABUL: Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) Chairman Atif Mashal says Pakistan cricket grounds are not in a condition where they could hold training sessions or host International teams for bilateral series.
Earlier, a delegation led by ACB chairman met with Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chief Shaharyar Khan in Lahore, where both sides agreed on various plans, including PCB’s suggestion of providing Afghanistan with venues for training and conditioning camps.
The agreement has sparked strong criticism from Afghans on social media as they denounced these plans with the PCB using #NoCricketwithPakistan tag on social media.
Following the matter, Atif Mashal held a news conference on Tuesday, where he stressed the Afghan cricket board will not take any decision against national interests.
“We told them [PCB] that we can’t agree on this plan, and we have home grounds in India and Sharjah, as well as grounds for domestic cricket in Afghanistan; the PCB offer is not for international cricket but for Afghan domestic cricket and we are thankful to them for this offer,” Atif Mashal said.
Mashal emphasised on the other parts of agreed plan – T20 friendly matches between the senior team of Afghanistan and Pakistan in Kabul and Lahore and reciprocal tours from youths of the both sides.
“ [We] are not touring Pakistan for the first time, we have played a lot of matches in the past. But it will be for the first time that Pakistan’s national side will come to Afghanistan and play a match.”
Exact dates for the matches have not been set yet. But will be sometime in July or August.
The ACB chairman further said that they are also keen on touring Bangladesh and arrange bilateral series with Sri Lanka and India.
