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LAHORE: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on Wednesday that its bilateral white-ball series against Sri Lanka, originally scheduled to begin on March 13 in the United Arab Emirates, has been postponed to the last quarter of 2026 due to logistical difficulties linked to flight constraints and the ongoing regional situation.
The six-match series, which was set to be the first occasion of Afghanistan hosting Sri Lanka, included three Twenty20 Internationals followed by three One Day Internationals.
According to the original schedule, the T20 matches were to be played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium on March 13, 15 and 17. The teams were then due to move to the Dubai International Cricket Stadium for the ODI leg on March 20, 22 and 25.
The ACB said preparations had been completed after securing the required sanction from the Emirates Cricket Board, with both venues ready to host the fixtures.
However, unforeseen developments in early March created logistical constraints affecting travel arrangements and operational planning for the tour.
The board said it held a series of consultations with key stakeholders, including the Emirates Cricket Board, officials from Sharjah Cricket Stadium and Dubai International Cricket Stadium, to assess the feasibility of proceeding with the series.
A joint meeting convened by the Afghanistan Cricket Board on March 4 recommended monitoring the situation until March 6 in hopes that conditions would improve. A follow-up meeting on March 7 suggested waiting until March 9 before taking a final decision.
“Despite the collective efforts of all parties to proceed with the event as planned, the logistical challenges remained beyond operational control,” the board said in a statement, confirming the postponement and the search for alternative dates.
ACB added that Sri Lanka Cricket had been kept fully informed throughout the process and that the decision to postpone was taken in consultation with and with the consent of the Sri Lankan board.
The United Arab Emirates remains the preferred host venue for the rescheduled series, with new dates to be announced after further coordination between the boards and stakeholders.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board also thanked the Emirates Cricket Board, Sharjah Cricket Stadium, Dubai International Cricket Stadium and Sri Lanka Cricket for their cooperation, saying it remained committed to staging the series at the earliest suitable opportunity and maintaining strong cricketing ties with Sri Lanka.
