Afghanistan participation in serious doubt, PCB explores other options

Karachi, Oct 13 (PTI) The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has started working on an alternate plan as serious doubts have arisen over Afghanistan's participation in an upcoming T20 Tri-Series here amid military conflict between the two countries.

The triangular series, also involving Sri Lanka, is scheduled to be held from November 17-29.

"The PCB chairman, Mohsin Naqvi, has asked the International Cricket Council to start working on an alternate plan as he wants the Tri-Series to go ahead," a source said.

The PCB has also invited Sri Lanka to play three T20 internationals between November 11 and 15, before they take part in the Tri-Series alongside Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Interestingly, the Pakistan and Sri Lankan boards are also holding talks for a hurriedly arranged three-match T20 series in Colombo between January 1-10.

If this series is finalized it will definitely put the PCB at odds with Cricket Australia, which has signed some Pakistan players for the Big Bash after being assured that they would be given NOCs for the whole tournament, which is scheduled in December and January.

Babar Azam, Mohammad Rizwan, Shadab Khan, Shaheen Shah Afridi, Shadab Khan, Hassan Khan, Haris Rauf and Hasan Ali were all signed up by Big Bash teams with Babar,Rizwan and Shaheen set to make their first appearances in the T20 league.

"Obviously if the series with Sri Lanka is finalised, then either the selectors play without these players or the duration of their NOCs will have to be reconsidered by the PCB, meaning a disagreement with Cricket Australia," the source said.

After the PCB announced recently it had suspended all NOCs issued to players for different leagues, Cricket Australia had got in touch to resolve the situation.

Another source said that CA officials had conveyed to the PCB that their teams had already spent millions on promo campaigns around the Pakistani players in the Big Bash.

The Desert Vipers franchise in the Emirates International League have also signed up three Pakistan players for this season.

Pakistan's only high-profile white ball series before the ICC World T20 Cup is in January when Australia tour the country to play three ODIs and as many T20 internationals. PTI Cor AH AH