Taliban takeover puts Afghanistan's ODI series against Pakistan into limbo

After the Taliban's recent takeover of Kabul, the ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which is set to take place in September in Sri Lanka, has come under scrutiny. According to Cricket Pakistan, Sri Lanka Cricket (SLC) announced on Monday that it was waiting for confirmation from Afghanistan and Pakistan on whether the tournament would go on as planned. The Sri Lankan board stated that it is prepared to host the competition and that works are underway. However, they are unsure if the countries will be able to continue with the series due to the situation in Afghanistan.

Last month, the ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan was moved to Sri Lanka from UAE to make room for the second phase of IPL 2021, which is scheduled to be played during the same window. 

'Cricket safe under Taliban rule'

The news comes a day after the Taliban laid siege to Kabul, Afghanistan's capital, in an attempt to seize governmental control. Afghanistan's President Hamid Karzai fled the nation on Sunday after the takeover, leaving the country in the hands of the feared Taliban. People in Afghanistan are now living in deep anguish, believing they are not so far away from the dark days of the early 2000s, prior to the US invasion. However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Monday assured that the sport won't suffer under Taliban rule, claiming that the Islamic fundamentalists 'love' and 'support' cricket. 

While speaking to Indian news agency PTI, ACB CEO Hamid Shinwari said the Taliban had supported cricket since the beginning of the sport in Afghanistan and that they never 'interfered' in the board's activities, even when the group was in power. Shinwari went on to say that cricket in Afghanistan flourished during the Taliban era as they were in power when the sport made it to the mainstream in the country. 

It remains to be seen whether the ODI series between Pakistan and Afghanistan is held next month. Earlier, Afghanistan's star player Rashid Khan took to social media to express concerns regarding the recent takeover of his country by the dreaded Taliban. Khan urged world leaders to help his country get out of the situation created because of Washington's sudden withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan. 

(Image Credits: AP)