Afghanistan’s series against Sri Lanka has been postponed to the last quarter of 2026 “due to logistical challenges, including flight constraints arising from the ongoing regional situation”, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced. The series was scheduled to start on Friday (March 13) in the United Arab Emirates.
With Israel and USA’s war against Iran still continuing, Middle Eastern nations like the UAE have come under attack, resulting in international travel through transit hubs like Dubai being impacted.
The series was to mark the first occasion of Afghanistan hosting Sri Lanka. As part of the series, Afghanistan was scheduled to play six white-ball matches against the Island nation. The three T20 International matches were planned to be staged at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on 13, 15, and 17 March, followed by three One Day Internationals at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium on 20, 22, and 25 March.
Following the receipt of the required sanction from the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), preparations had been finalized for hosting the matches across the two venues. However, in early March, unforeseen developments created logistical constraints that affected travel arrangements and operational planning for the series.
To address the situation, the Afghanistan Cricket Board held a series of consultations with key stakeholders, including the Emirates Cricket Board (ECB), Sharjah Cricket Stadium (SCS), and Dubai International Cricket Stadium (DICS). A joint meeting convened by the ACB on 4 March resulted in a recommendation to monitor the situation and reassess by 6 March, in the hope that conditions would improve. A subsequent follow-up meeting on 7 March recommended waiting until 9 March before making a final determination.
Despite the collective efforts of all parties to proceed with the event as planned, the logistical challenges remained beyond operational control, leading to the decision to postpone the series and explore rescheduling options.
Throughout this process, the Sri Lanka Cricket Board (SLC) was kept fully informed, and the decision to postpone the series was made in consultation and with the consent of Sri Lanka Cricket.
The preferred venue for the rescheduled series remains the United Arab Emirates, and the new dates will be announced in due course following further coordination between the respective boards and stakeholders.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board extends its sincere appreciation to the Emirates Cricket Board, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Dubai International Cricket Stadium, and Sri Lanka Cricket for their continued cooperation and support in addressing this matter and safeguarding the interests of all parties involved.
ACB remains committed to delivering the series at the earliest suitable opportunity and to continuing its strong cricketing relationship with Sri Lanka Cricket.
