The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Thursday that the team will embark on a tour to the United Arab Emirates later this month, playing a series of three T20Is and two 50-over warm-up matches against the hosts at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in the UAE. Both teams will meet in two 50-over warmup games on December 25th and 27th before the start of the three T20I matches scheduled for December 29 in Sharjah.
This will be Afghanistan’s second tour of the UAE in 2023, with the Rashid Khan-led side winning the first series 2-1 in Abu Dhabi earlier this year in February. The series is played under the mutual cooperation agreement signed last year between Afghanistan and the Emirates Cricket Boards, stipulating that Afghanistan will play a series of three T20I matches with the UAE on an annual basis.
“Our collaboration with the Emirates Cricket Board has been helpful. The inaugural UAE Series earlier this year offered us an excellent foundation to prepare for the following events throughout the year. Banking on our positive previous experience, we eagerly anticipate the upcoming UAE series for the same purpose,” said Naseeb Khan, CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, in an official statement.
“This upcoming tour marks the commencement of our new year, which is expected to provide the AfghanAtalan squad with the necessary impetus for an action-packed 2024 season, featuring plenty of T20 cricket,” he added.
“We are delighted to host the Afghanistan team for the second time this year. We had a highly competitive T20I series in February, and this tour will once again provide excellent opportunities for our seasoned as well as young players against a formidable opponent,” said Mubashshir Usmani, General Secretary of the Emirates Cricket Board.
