Before India, Afghanistan to tour Australia for lone day-night Test

For Afghanistan, this will be its first day-night Test and both the Boards feel that it will be a good advertisement for the game in such testing times.

If things go as per plan, Afghanistan will be playing its maiden day-night Test against Australia.

Much before India travels to Australia for its proposed four-match Test series, starting December 3, Afghanistan will play a lone day-night Test against the Aussies in Perth from November 21.

The decision was taken after deliberation between both the cricket Boards. Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive, Lutfullah Stanikzai is confident that the tour will go as per schedule if the Coronavirus pandemic is contained by then.

 

"Australia is a strong side in world cricket. However, our team will also be well prepared. The match will provide a great experience to them," Stanikzai said.

For Afghanistan, which earned Test status in 2017, this will be its first day-night Test and the Boards feel that it will be a good advertisement for the game in such testing times. 

This one match Test will precede the Test series against India, which is scheduled to be held across four venues.

 

With Australia's cricket Board hoping that the pandemic situation will be better by the later part of the year, the series against India would ideally not follow the bio-bubble model. Even Afghanistan Board is positive that the one-off Test will be of success.

Speaking to  Sportstar  earlier, Afghanistan spin ace, Rashid Khan had stated that the fixture against Australia will be a big boost for the team.

"It’s early stages for us in Tests, we will be playing Australia in its home next year. In such conditions, you won’t get favourable wickets. You will get wickets which will hardly help the spinners, so we need to find out a few fast bowlers, who can bowl 130-plus. Once we have that, it will be easy for us to get wickets.

"They will definitely take responsibility and that’s what we are trying to get. In the series against Australia, you need to have pacers who can bowl at 130-plus," Rashid, who has prior experience of playing in Australia, courtesy the Big Bash League, said.

Asked when will the team leave for Down Under, ACB chief executive stated that it will be decided in due course of time.