The Afghan team will arrive in Pakistan tomorrow for the ODI series

ISLAMABAD: A one-day series of three matches between Pakistan and Afghanistan is back on track after cricketers on the other side of the border have been granted visas to travel to Pakistan.

According to Foreign Ministry well-placed sources, the Afghan cricket group is expected to cross the Pakistani border in the next couple of days.

Yes, Pakistan has issued visas to the entire Afghan cricket contingent, and they are expected to cross the Pakistani border at any time on Monday or Tuesday, a source has told The News.

A one-day series of three matches between Pakistan and Afghanistan as part of the 2023 World Cup qualifiers is scheduled to take place in Sri Lanka in the first week of September. Sri Lanka today is under Covid-19 threats. The country is completely closed until August 30 and no sports activities are planned there.

Under the current circumstances, it would not be easier for the Sri Lankan government to hold a series. Yes, that’s right Sri Lanka has tough restrictions on Covid-19, and the country may not be able to host the series. In this situation, the Afghan government may have sought PCB assistance to address the problem, the source said.

Under the current situation, Pakistan’s chances of hosting an Afghan home series are growing day by day.

The Afghan cricket commission is awaiting a final decision by the Sri Lankan government, which may come on Monday. After that, the position is much clearer, The News.

In that case, the PCB would always be faced with the demanding issue of arranging a training schedule for visitors, preparing the site within a few days, and maintaining all arrangements to comply with the strict Covid-19-SOP rules for this purpose.

It wouldn’t be easier for Pakistan to host the series at the moment, as there are numerous serious challenges in successfully hosting teams, one official told The News.

He said the PCB had previously offered the Afghan government to play the series in Pakistan. The PCB had in fact offered Afghan cricket to play the series in Pakistan instead of Sri Lanka, but it preferred the island. Now it would be really difficult for the PCB to make all the arrangements in a few days. Team training, hotel reservations, venue selection and everything else, security measures are challenging things, he said.