ACB Confirm All-Format Tour to Sri Lanka and Home Series against Ireland

Kabul: 8th January 2023: The Afghanistan Cricket Board today finalized the dates for AfghanAtalan’s upcoming all-format away tour to Sri Lanka and home series against Ireland in February – March. The Team will first tour Sri Lanka for a one-off test, three ODIs, and three T20I matches from February 2 to 21, and then will host Ireland for as many matches from 28th February to 18th March in UAE.

AfghanAtalan’s away tour to Sri Lanka begins with a solitary test match at the Sinhalese Sports Club Cricket Ground in Colombo from 2nd to 6th February. The one-off test match will be followed by three ODI Matches which are scheduled on the 9th, 11th, and 14th of February at the R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium in Colombo, followed by three T20Is on the 17th, 19th, and 21st of February at the Dambulla International Cricket Stadium.

The Afghanistan National Team will then travel to the United Arab Emirates where the Afghanistan Cricket Board will host the Ireland National Cricket Team for an all-format series comprised of a test, three ODIs, and three T20Is from February 28 to March 18.

Similar to the Sri Lanka Series, AfghanAtalan’s home series against Ireland will also begin with a one-off test match at the Zayed Cricket Stadium in Abu Dhabi from 28th February to 3rd March. This will be followed by three ODI Matches which are scheduled on the 7th, 9th, and 12th of March, and three T20I Matches on the 15th, 17th, and 18th of March at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium in UAE.

Mr. Mirwais Ashraf, Chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, expressed his happiness over the fruitful discussions with Sri Lanka Cricket Officials that led to the inclusion of three ODIs to this tour, which already included three T20Is and a Test match. He added: “The addition of these three ODIs is a significant move to ensure a complete and comprehensive tour which not only provides good exposure to Afghanistan Cricket but will also foster stronger relations between the two nations. Playing Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka is always tricky but is a challenge that AfghanAtalan can easily embrace."

Meanwhile, Mr. Naseeb Khan, the CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, expressed his pleasure over the action-packed season of the AfghanAtalan for the next few months which will help in the team’s full preparations for the upcoming ICC Men’s T20I World Cup in the Caribbean & USA in June. “The Year 2024 is a very busy and full of highly voltage competitions for the Afghanistan National Team which is a very good and positive sign for Afghanistan Cricket. The upcoming tours of India, and Sri Lanka, and then the home series against Ireland will help us to prepare the team for the much-important T20 World Cup. Eagerly looking for the multiple series upfront.”

Etisalat Afghanistan Telecommunications Company has secured rights as the National Team’s main sponsor for the away tour of Sri Lanka and has also obtained the title sponsorship rights for the all-format home series against Ireland.

Series Schedule:

Afghanistan Tour to Sri Lanka, February 2024
Date	Format	Venue
2-6 February, 2024	One-Off Test	SSC, Colombo
9th February, 2024	1st  ODI	RPICS, Colombo
11th February, 2024	2nd ODI	RPICS, Colombo
14th February, 2024	3rd ODI	RPICS, Colombo
17th February, 2024	1st T20I	RDIS, Dambulla
19th February, 2024	2nd T20I	RDIS, Dambulla
21st February, 2024	3rd T20I	RDIS, Dambulla
Ireland Tour of Afghanistan, February – March 2024
28th Feb – 3rd Mar, 2024	One-Off Test	ZCS, Abu Dhabi
7th March, 2024	1st  ODI	Sharjah Cricket Stadium
9th March, 2024	2nd ODI	Sharjah Cricket Stadium
12th March, 2024	3rd ODI	Sharjah Cricket Stadium
15th March, 2024	1st T20I	Sharjah Cricket Stadium
17th March, 2024	2nd T20I	Sharjah Cricket Stadium
18th March, 2024	3rd T20I	Sharjah Cricket Stadium

The End!

Media & Communication Department

Afghanistan Cricket Board.