Schedule revised for three-match T20I

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Thursday shared the revised schedule of the three-match T20I series between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The matches have been moved ahead of schedule and will be played on March 24, 26 and 27, the ACB said in a statement. 

Earlier, the matches were to be played on March 25, 27 and 29 at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium. 

“Afghanistan Cricket Board and Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) have jointly agreed to make slight tweaks to the itinerary of Afghanistan’s home three-match T2OI series against Pakistan. 

The start of the series is brought forward by a day and will now start on March 24, with the last two games to be played on March 26 and 27 in Sharjah, UAE,” ACB said in a statement.

The Pakistan Super League (PSL) season eight final will be played on March 19, following which Pakistan’s national side will travel to Sharjah to play the three-match series. 

The statement further added that the changes in the itinerary were made due to the “unavailability of the Hawk-Eye Technology for the previously agreed upon dates”. 

“The two boards have agreed upon the changes in the itinerary to ensure all the necessary broadcast technologies are available for the inaugural T20I series between the two sides,” it added.

According to International Cricket Council (ICC), both teams played a solitary ODI in Sharjah back in 2012 and a T20I in 2013 at the same venue. Both matches were won by Pakistan.

The two neighbours have only met in multi-team events apart from this. 

Earlier, both teams were supposed to play a three-match ODI series this year, instead of T20Is, but, since Pakistan and Afghanistan have already qualified for the 2023 ODI World Cup in India, the format was changed after a meeting between PCB and ACB officials.

“I met with the executive members of Afghanistan Cricket Board and they were asking us to play a (ODI) series but we didn’t find any attraction playing the series,” top PCB official Najam Sethi said at a press conference in January.

“It’s mainly because the series was meant for the [Super League] points, and now no matter who wins it won’t make a difference. So we agreed to play a series of three T20Is in Sharjah just after the PSL subject to government approval. We will share 50% of the revenue from the series equally. And we will jointly outsource the production,” he added. 

Revised Schedule:

March 24: 1st T20I, Sharjah

March 26: 2nd T20I, Sharjah

March 27: 3rd T20I, Sharjah