Afghanistan Cricket Board keen on hosting Pakistan for limited-overs series in UAE, says PCB source

Karachi: The Afghanistan Cricket Board are keen to host Pakistan for a white-ball series in the United Arab Emirates in August-September.

File image of the Afghanistan cricket team. Twitter@Irelandcricket

Pakistan and Afghanistan have met frequently in ICC and Asian Cricket Council events but have never played a bilateral series at the senior level although Afghanistan have sent their team to Pakistan several times to play against the A sides.

A source in the Pakistan board said that the two boards had opened talks on the planned series which would include three one-day internationals and three T20 matches in Abu Dhabi or Dubai.

"The Afghanistan board is keen to have the series before the World T20 Cup which is in October," the source said.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Imran Khan had also asked the PCB to arrange a bilateral series with Afghanistan when senior Afghan players including Muhammad Nabi had met him in January this year.

The Afghan players had requested the Pakistani premier to do something and start proper bilateral series between the two countries at the senior level.

The source said that the PCB were looking at the option of playing the series when the team returns from West Indies in August.

"The plan is for the Pakistan team to stop over in UAE and play the series in August as the Indian cricket board is also likely to host the remaining matches of its unfinished Indian Premier League in the UAE sometime in September-October.

"And a number of Afghan players including their captain, Rashid Khan, Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rehman and a few others take part in the IPL for different teams," the source said.

He said the PCB wanted to have the series in August as they also had to host England at home before the World T20 Cup.