‘Delighted to host Sri Lanka for the first time’: ACB CEO
Naseeb Khan, the CEO of the Afghanistan Cricket Board, shared his excitement about hosting Sri Lanka for the first time. He emphasized the growing partnership between the two cricket boards.
“We are delighted to host Sri Lanka for the first time in our history. This event shows our strong collaboration with the Sri Lanka Cricket Board, and we aim to strengthen our relationship further to ensure a high-quality cricket experience,” Khan stated in an official release.
Khan noted that Sri Lanka has been performing well in cricket, indicating that this series will be competitive. He also mentioned the strategic importance of the tour for the development of Afghanistan cricket: “This series is vital as we work on building our team and improving key areas. Our main goal is to prepare the team for major ICC and ACC events and many bilateral commitments over the next two years,” he added.
Sri Lanka Cricket CEO welcomes historic assignment
Ashley De Silva, the CEO of Sri Lanka Cricket, shared similar views, highlighting the importance of bilateral cricket in the International schedule.
“Bilateral cricket is crucial in international cricket, and we are very pleased to be part of this historic tour, as this is the first bilateral series hosted by Afghanistan,” De Silva remarked.
He expressed confidence that the tour would aid Sri Lanka in planning for future international matches.
AFG vs SL: Previous encounters between the two teams
The last bilateral meeting was in early 2024 when Afghanistan visited Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka won decisively, achieving a 3-0 clean sweep in the ODI series and taking the T20I series 2-1.
It’s noteworthy that the T20I series will start just five days after the T20 World Cup 2026 final, while the ODI matches will finish a day before the Indian Premier League (IPL) and Pakistan Super League (PSL) begin on March 26. Managing player workloads will be crucial for both boards.
Afghanistan faced disappointment at the T20 World Cup 2026, failing to advance to the Super 8 stage, finishing third in Group D with two wins and two losses. This series will also be Afghanistan’s first without former head coach Jonathan Trott, who left after the group stage.
Sri Lanka, on the other hand, qualified for the Super 8 after ending up second in Group B with three wins and one loss, though they experienced a significant defeat against England in their Super 8 opener.
