Pakistan, Afghanistan to play Kabul T20 friendly

LAHORE: Pakistan cricketers will play their first Twenty20 match in Afghanistan’s capital later this year, officials from the nations said on Saturday, as the neighbours put aside political tensions for two upcoming friendlies.

The announcement of the games, the first of which is scheduled for July or August, comes as Islamabad and Kabul face off over border skirmishes and terrorism.

The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), which has long advocated supporting its war-ravaged neighbour to boost the game in the region, also promised to provide Afghanistan’s players with a ground to use as their base, in an apparent move to counter India’s growing influence.

PCB chairman Shaharyar Khan said politics will not be allowed to interfere in cricket, referring to the recent strained relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

“This visit by Afghan board head has helped in renewing the bond of friendship,” Khan told a press conference in Lahore after a meeting with his Afghan counterpart Atif Mashal.

Khan said the first friendly would be held in Kabul, followed by a second fixture in Pakistan. An international series was also agreed between the two countries and slated for an unspecified later date.

Afghanistan’s Mashal said that while the boards were “trying to keep sports — especially cricket — away from politics”, he hoped the matches would have an impact.

“I hope this tour should be used to positively influence the political arena and create a good atmosphere between the two friendly nations,” he said.

Afghans learned to play cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan after they were forced to leave their homes in the wake of the Soviet invasion in 1979.