Afghanistan–Sri Lanka White-Ball Series Likely Postponed Amid West Asia Conflict

The upcoming white-ball series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, scheduled to be played in the United Arab Emirates from March 13 to 25, is likely to be postponed indefinitely due to the ongoing military conflict in West Asia.

Although no official announcement has yet been made, sources indicate that both the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Sri Lanka Cricket have agreed that staging the six-match series in the UAE is currently not feasible because of security concerns and travel disruptions in the region.

The series was set to feature three T20 Internationals followed by three One-Day Internationals. The T20I leg was scheduled to take place at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on March 13, 15 and 17, while the ODI matches were planned for March 20, 22 and 25 at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

Discussions about shifting the series to another venue have taken place, but logistical challenges and tight international schedules are believed to have made relocation difficult. As a result, the most likely outcome is that the series will be postponed to a later date.

The tour was expected to mark the first series for Afghanistan under new captain Ibrahim Zadran, who recently took over leadership duties from Rashid Khan following Afghanistan’s group-stage exit in the last ICC men’s tournament.

The West Asia conflict has already caused significant disruption to international cricket schedules and travel plans. Recently, several fixtures in the ICC Cricket World Cup League 2 involving Oman, the UAE and Nepal were postponed due to the same crisis.

Airspace restrictions across parts of the region have also complicated travel arrangements for teams participating in global events. Some squads that were competing in the men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka faced delays in their departure as airlines adjusted routes and schedules.

Cricket boards are now monitoring the situation closely before making further decisions regarding future international fixtures in the region.

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