India is all set to host Afghanistan Cricket Team for its Debut Test Match, sidelining and upsetting Pakistan. Earlier it was also proposed that Afghanistan Cricket Team will make debut against Australia, but seeing the historic India-Afghanistan relationship, it was decided that India will be the first country to host Afghanistan.
Former Pakistan’s Cricket Board (PCB) chairman Shahryar Khan expressed displeasure over Afghanistan Cricket Team and Management accepting to play their debut Test match against India (arch rivals of Pakistan) asserting that while the decision depresses him, but did not understand why Afghan Cricket Board was taking a hostile position against Pakistan. After Afghanistan Cricket Team was promoted to be part of the five-day form along with Ireland earlier, Afghan Board were exploring for an opponent for their debut match where India, Pakistan, and Australia were in contention. Now that India is hosting Afghanistan Cricket Team, Afghanistan now becomes the fourth country to debut against India in a test match.
Read More: How US Plans to Deal with India & Pakistan over Afghanistan?
Khan said “To be honest, I am not hurt, but a little displeased after hearing this news as it should have been Pakistan who should have hosted Afghanistan Cricket Team for the first match, and this would have been a historic moment for both nations. In actuality, we should have hosted Afghanistan Cricket Team, but their board took a very political and an unnecessarily aggressive line towards Pakistan which was totally not required.”
Earlier, Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) had canceled off all ties with Pakistan after a deadly bomb blast in Kabul which Afghanistan’s intelligence bureau confirmed was carried out from Pakistan by insurgents. “Whilst we obviously wish the Afghanistan Cricket Team the very best of luck as they commence a new chapter of their cricketing history, it is a rather sad that Afghan Cricket Team will not be playing their first ever Test match against Pakistan,” Khan concluded.
