Pakistan issues visas to Afghanistan cricket team members

Pakistan embassy in Kabul has issued visas to Afghanistan national cricketers, paving the way for their travel to Sri Lanka via Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) for the upcoming ODI series against Pakistan.

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain on Sunday announced the development on Twitter.

“Pakistan has issued visa to the Afghan cricket team, we hope and pray that the Afghan cricket team will bring smiles on the faces of its people.”

The Afghan cricket team is set to face Pakistan in a three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka in the first week of September, but their departure had been doubtful due to the suspension of commercial flights from Kabul airport amidst the evacuation process for foreign forces and officials following the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan announce squad for first full bilateral ODI series against Pakistan

However, Pakistan allowed them a transit route after which the cricket team, assembled in Kabul, will travel to Peshawar by road. The cricket team will then leave for Colombo, Sri Lanka via UAE.

Despite Pakistan’s help to overcome this hurdle, the series remains in doubt as Sri Lanka has imposed a countrywide 10-day lockdown owing to the COVID-19 situation.

For the ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan to go on, the Sri Lankan Cricket Board (SLC) will require special permission from their government. So far, there has been no official word on the development from either side.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has also postponed its training camp and announcement of the squad following a delay in the announcement of the series schedule from ACB.