ZIMBABWE CRICKET CONFIRM AFGHANISTAN INTEREST

 

ZIMBABWE Cricket (ZC) has confirmed that the national cricket team could play against Afghanistan as part of their preparations for the International Cricket Council World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh early next year.

This follows comments by the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) chief executive Noor Mohammad Murad that the rising cricket nation which recently qualified for its first World Cup had approached Zimbabwe for a one-day series in the next few months.

“Indeed, we are exploring the possibility of Afghanistan touring Zimbabwe,” ZC’s media and communications manager Lovemore Banda told NewsDay Sport yesterday.

“Zimbabwe Cricket would welcome the tour for two reasons. One it would come in as part of our preparations for the International Cricket Council World Twenty20 tournament in Bangladesh early next year.

“Secondly, as a Full Member of the ICC, we are fully behind the organisation’s (ICC’s) objective of growing the game globally through tours between the FMCs and the Associates such as Afghanistan.”

Following the cancellation of the tour by Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe do not have any international cricket this year and their next assignment will be the World Twenty20 in Bangladesh.

The positive response by Zimbabwe Cricket will be a huge boost for the ACB chief, Murad who on Saturday took a swipe at the traditional Asian cricket powers for failing to help the team over the past years.

Murad said India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh had all failed to respond to his requests to set up games. Afghanistan took a further step in a remarkable rise by qualifying for their first World Cup courtesy of a crushing win over Kenya recently.

Afghanistan only became an International Cricket Council affiliate member in 2001 and were granted associate status this year on the back on successive appearances at the World Twenty20.

But a place at the 50-over showpiece event, to be staged by Australia and New Zealand in 2015, is a new high for the nation