Cricket Australia says it is still hoping a planned Test match against Afghanistan will go ahead, despite the Taliban takeover of the country and acute uncertainty over their rule.
The governing body said preparations for the one-off match in Hobart beginning Nov. 27 were proceeding as planned.
“Cricket Australia’s planning for the historic first Test match between Australia and Afghanistan in Hobart is well underway,” CA said on its website late Tuesday.
“There is goodwill between CA and the Afghanistan Cricket Board to make the match happen.”
The match was originally slated for late last year but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
CA was responding to reported comments from the Taliban saying the Afghanistan team’s schedule would not be interrupted.
‘Good relations’
“In the future, we want good relations with all countries,” the deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission Ahmadullah Wasiq told Australia’s SBS television.
“When good relations are established, Afghan players can go (to Australia) and they can come here.”
The rescheduled match in the Tasmanian State capital will take place just after the ICC T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), in which both Australia and Afghanistan are set to play.
The Australians will use the Test as a warm-up for its home Ashes series against England beginning in December.
