ISLAMABAD – Minister for Information and Broadcasting Chaudhry Fawad Hussain revealed on Monday that Pakistan has issued visas to the Afghan cricket team.
The minister in a tweet expressed hope that the Afghan cricket team would bring smiles to the faces of people in Afghanistan where the Taliban has recently regained power, ousting former President Ashraf Ghan’s government.
پاکستان نے افغانستان کی کرکٹ ٹیم کو ویزہ جاری کر دیا ہے، ہم امید اور دعا کرتے ہیں کہ افغان کرکٹ ٹیم اپنے عوام کی چہروں پر مسکراہٹیں لائے گی…… “زما دا اخلاص نہ ڈکے نیکے حیلے اؤ دعاگانے تاسو سرا دی۔” #AfganistanCricketTeam
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) August 22, 2021
The Pak-Afghan ODI series was scheduled in Sri Lanka, which had announced 10-day restrictions on gatherings and other events in order to control the spike in COVID-19 cases. The series is in jeopardy and is expected to be shifted to any other country.
Meanwhile, the Afghan team has been invited to play the tournament in Pakistan. The series is set to begin on September 1.
Last week, clouds looming over the Pak-Afghan cricket series were cleared as Afghanistan Cricket Board revealed that the upcoming ODI series would be played as per schedule.
The Cricket administrative body, in a statement, said that the three-match limited-overs series against Pakistan would not be affected by the change in government in Afghanistan.
Board CEO Hamid Shinwari while speaking with an international news agency from Kabul said “Taliban love cricket and they are supporting their team. Our ODI series against Pakistan will go as per schedule in Sri Lanka”.
“I don’t see any interference and expect support so that our cricket can move forward. We have got an active chairman, I remain CEO until further notice”.
“Other than four or five players who are playing overseas the rest of Afghan players are all in Kabul. Like I said, they are safe and doing fine”, Shinwari said while commenting on the player’s safety.
Pakistan aims at vaccinating 70 million people against COVID-19 in 2021
