COLOMBO: As officials scramble to find out whether Afghanistan’s cricketers are safe, Sri Lanka’s national board said Monday it is going ahead with arrangements to host a T20 series between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
No official was able to guarantee however that the three Twenty20 matches would start on September 1 after the Taliban swept to power.
The team are also scheduled to play in the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in October which could also now be in doubt.
The Taliban government that ruled Afghanistan from 1996 until 2001 frowned upon organized sport.
Star spin bowler and T20 captain Rashid Khan and all rounder Mohammad Nabi are currently playing The Hundred tournament in England. Both made pleas for peace in their country before the Taliban takeover.
But most other national players are in Afghanistan.
“Efforts are being made to check their whereabouts,” said an international cricket official, speaking on condition of anonymity.
Sri Lanka’s cricket board said it was still hoping to host Afghanistan and Pakistan for the three matches in an empty stadium at Hambantota.
The series was originally to be held in Dubai but was shifted to Sri Lanka because it clashed with the Indian Premier League which also starts in September in the UAE.
“We have told them that we are ready to host the tournament,” Sri Lanka Cricket secretary Mohan de Silva told AFP. “All the preparations are underway.”
“But, given the current situation in Kabul, we don’t know if they will be able to go ahead. We are awaiting a response from them.”
De Silva said that because of coronavirus precautions, the two teams should be in Sri Lanka by next week to begin the matches in September.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board website said its national squad met top officials on August 7 and were told that they would be “rewarded handsomely” for a good performance against Pakistan.
In its latest post dated August 9, the board said it had appointed former Australian fast bowler Shaun Tait as the national team bowling coach.
Doubts over Afghan-Pakistan cricket series after Taliban takeover
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Doubts over Afghan-Pakistan cricket series after Taliban takeover
- Sri Lanka’s national board says going ahead with arrangements to host T20 series between Afghanistan and Pakistan
- No official able to guarantee that the three Twenty20 matches would start on September 1 after the Taliban swept to power
Turkish agents capture senior Daesh member on Afghanistan-Pakistan border
- The Turkish citizen was allegedly tasked with suicide bombings in Turkiye, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Europe
- It was not clear when the operation took place or whether Afghan and Pakistani authorities were involved
ANKARA: Turkish intelligence agents have captured a senior member of the Daesh (Islamic State) group in an area along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, allegedly thwarting planned suicide attacks in Turkiye and elsewhere, Turkiye’s state-run news agency reported Monday.
Anadolu Agency said the suspect was identified as Mehmet Goren and a member of the group’s Afghanistan-based Daesh-Khorasan (IS-K) branch. He was caught in a covert operation and transferred to Turkiye.
It was not clear when the operation took place or whether Afghan and Pakistani authorities were involved.
The report said the Turkish citizen allegedly rose within the organization’s ranks and was given the task of carrying out suicide bombings in Turkiye, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Europe.
Daesh has carried out deadly attacks in Turkiye, including a shooting at an Istanbul night club on Jan. 1, 2017, which killed 39 people.
Monday’s report said Goren’s capture allegedly also exposed the group’s recruitment methods and provided intelligence on its planned activities.
