MUMBAI: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has released its Future Tours Program (FTP) for 2022-23, the highlight (from a commercial perspective) of which is a three-match ODI series in India in March, just ahead of the Indian Premier League.
A total of 11 ODI, 4 T20I & 2 Test series have been included in Afghanistan’s schedule for the next two years, making up 52 matches in all. Afghanistan will play 18 home & 34 away matches, apart from participating in the Asia Cup 2022, T20 World Cup 2022, the Asia Cup 2023 & the Cricket World Cup 2023.
Out of the 52 matches included in Afghanistan’s schedule from 2022 to 2023, there will be 37 ODIs, 12 T20Is & 3 tests. Bifurcating the tally into limited overs cricket and the Test format, Afghanistan’s focus will clearly be on the shorter formats of the game. Considering the fact that Afghanistan will be playing 7 ODI series in the Cricket World Cup Super League, as well as participating in four major limited overs events – Asia Cup 2022 (T20 format), T20 World Cup 2022, the Asia Cup 2023 (ODI format) & the Cricket World Cup 2023.
As per the FTP, the team will travel to Bangladesh for three ODIs and as many T20Is in February and March. It will then travel to India for a three-match ODI series as part of the ICC Super League, which counts towards the qualification for the 2023 World Cup.
India, which is the host of the 2023 World Cup, will qualify automatically along with the top seven teams from the Super League. The Super League is a 13-team tournament, which will happen over a period of two years and eventually determine the teams that qualify for the 2023 ODI World Cup.
So what of the fact that after the Taliban takeover, women’s cricket in Afghanistan is dead and buried? An industry watcher tells SportzPower that the ICC review group that has been set up to address this vexed issue will likely submit recommendations that the ACB should be “given time”. Translated, it means that this particular “ball” will be “kicked down the road” for the foreseeable future. Further translated, beyond some hand-wringing for public consumption, it will be business as usual as far as the powers that be in world cricket are concerned.
