Afghanistan U19 team reaches Bangladesh for bilateral series after Taliban takes control

Afghanistan U19 team has begun arriving in Bangladesh from Saturday, September 4 to take part in a short series. They will also become the first Afghan side to play a series abroad after the Taliban takeover. Afghanistan U19 are scheduled to play five one-day matches and one four-day match against Bangladesh U19 from September 10 to 25 at the Sylhet International Cricket Stadium.

The Taliban takeover has created a lot of ruckus in the country and the future of cricket has come under the clouds. However, the tours have come as a positive piece of news for the Afghan cricket fraternity.  But the future of women’s cricket remains uncertain in the country.

Afghanistan cricketers landed at the Dhaka airport before moving to Sylhet

For the upcoming series, one set of Afghan players have already landed in Dhaka. As per reports, the other two groups will reach in a few days. The cricketers left for Sylhet immediately following their arrival in Dhaka.

“The first group of eight players arrived in Dhaka today. The remaining players will arrive in two other groups,” Rabeed Imam, a Bangladesh Cricket Board (BCB) spokesman, was quoted as saying in Cricket Next.

Going by a video shared by the Bangladesh Cricket Board on its social media handles, the Afghan players were seen at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. The series is also the first for the Bangladesh U19 team after the victory in the U19 World Cup in 2020.

Back then, the Akbar Ali-led team beat India in the final to help Bangladesh win their first major ICC trophy. As far as Afghanistan cricket is concerned, former Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi said that the Taliban has come with a positive mindset. The veteran also said that the Taliban supports cricket and his comments earned a lot of criticism.

In the next few months, Afghanistan are already scheduled to take part in the T20 World Cup in the UAE and a one-off Test in Australia. A triangular series before the WC and a Test series against India in the first quarter of 2022 are also on the cards. A few of their players are also set to take part in the second leg of the 2021 IPL in the UAE.