http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Afghanistan-c745 - Cricket News Update
In an effort to support Afghan cricket’s development, Cricket Australia (CA) has confirmed to play a One-Off One Day International (ODI) match with the Afghan team ahead of the http://www.senore.com/Cricket/United-Arab-Emirates-c3033 (UAE).
This will be the first time a Aussie side will be facing Afghanistan, with the match serving as a warm-up before the series against the Men in Green due to be held in August - the details of which are yet to be finalised.
Afghanistan has only played one ODI before, against an International Cricket Council (http://www.senore.com/Cricket/ICC-World-Cup-2011-c100625) full member, in February, battling Pakistan at Sharjah in a losing cause.
If the ODI against Australia gets the confirmation, it will be their second match at this level, and another rare opportunity for them to prove their mettle at the highest level.
Afghanistan, which is traditionally a conservative country, had to suffer during the Taliban era when all sport-related activities were banned. Afghan players mostly played their cricket in neighbouring Pakistan, before a revival of the game in their homeland
took place during the past couple of years.
"Everyone in world cricket have been really impressed with how cricket has flourished in Afghanistan, despite its pressing national problems," http://www.senore.com/Cricket/James-Alexander-Sutherland-c65430, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of CA, said.
As an ICC associate member, Afghanis have made remarkable progress beating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/India-c750 in Group C.
"As an ICC member, CA strongly supports world cricket's ambition for cricket to continue to develop as a global sport and that, combined with the strong relationships between our two countries, encouraged us to look at how we might recognise and encourage
Afghanistan by playing them on the field," Sutherland further added.
The Afghan team will participate in their second ICC World T20 Championship due to be held in September in http://www.senore.com/Cricket/England-c56013. Later, their Under-19 team will also feature in
the U-19 World Cup in Australia in August 2013.
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