ODI series between Afghanistan and Pakistan shifted to Hambantota
The three-match ODI series between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been shifted to the Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium in Hambantota, Sri Lanka. The bilateral series, which is the first between these teams, will be played between September 1 and 5.
The series was earlier scheduled to be played in the UAE. However, it was shifted due to unavailability of the ground because of the second half of the Indian Premier League (IPL), a report in ESPNCricinfo suggests.
The second half of IPL 2021 is likely to begin on September 20. The IPL teams, though, will begin their training from the second week of August. This will makes the three venues in the UAE unavailable to host the bilateral series.
Pakistan-Afghanistan series to be a part of ICC Super League
The Pakistan-Afghanistan series will be part of the ICC Super League - a major qualification round for the ICC 2023 World Cup. The Men in Green are currently placed fifth with 40 points from nine matches while Afghanistan are eighth with 30 points.
So far, Pakistan and Afghanistan have played each other in four ODIs, and Babar Azam & Co has emerged victorious in all the games. The last time they faced each other in an ODI was during the 2019 World Cup in England.
This will be Afghanistan's first international outing in a long time while Pakistan are currently gearing up for the upcoming T20I series against West Indies. The five-match T20I series begins on July 27 before the two-match Test series that ends on August 24.
Meanwhile, this will only be the second time that Mahinda Rajapaksa Stadium will be a neutral venue. The last time this ground hosted an ODI was in 2020 when Sri Lanka thrashed West Indies.