Afghanistan-Sri Lanka series postponed due to logistical challenges

The bilateral series between Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, which was scheduled to be held in the United Arab Emirates, has been postponed due to logistical challenges. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said in a statement that the series is now planned to take place in the last quarter of 2026.

The series was originally scheduled to begin on 13 March. It was set to mark the first occasion of Afghanistan hosting Sri Lanka in a bilateral series. A total of six white-ball matches were scheduled to be played.

According to the schedule, three T20 International matches were to be held at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 13, 15 and 17 March. This was to be followed by three One Day Internationals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 20, 22 and 25 March.

The ACB said that preparations for hosting the matches at both venues had been nearly completed after receiving approval from the Emirates Cricket Board. However, unforeseen developments in early March, including flight constraints caused by the regional situation, created logistical difficulties that affected travel and operational planning for the series.

To address the situation, the ACB held a series of meetings with key stakeholders, including the Emirates Cricket Board, Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Dubai International Cricket Stadium. A joint meeting held on 4 March decided to monitor the situation and reassess it on 6 March. Later, another meeting on 7 March recommended waiting until 9 March before making a final decision.

Despite the efforts of all parties involved, the logistical challenges could not be resolved, leading to the decision to postpone the series and begin the process of determining a new schedule.

Throughout the process, Sri Lanka Cricket was kept informed, and the decision to postpone the series was taken with their consent.

The rescheduled series is still expected to be held in the United Arab Emirates, and the new dates will be announced later following coordination between the respective boards and stakeholders, the ACB said.