In May this year, when Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)’s acting secretary, Amitabh Chaudhary, had visited Kabul to meet the officials of Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), the two Boards had decided that every time an overseas team visits India, it will have to play a tour game against Afghanistan U-19 or A teams.
However, when West Indies reaches India next week, it will not be featuring in any practice fixtures with the Afghan side. It, however, will participate in a two-day warm-up game against the Board President’s XI in Vadodara from September 29. The first Test will begin in Rajkot from October 4.
While there has not been any official word on it from the BCCI, sources told Sportstar that since the Afghanistan U-19 team is heading to Bangladesh for the Asia Cup and the ‘A’ team players are gearing up for the Afghanistan Premier League — which begins at the UAE in the first week of October — the players will not be available for any tour game against the West Indies.
READ | BCCI: Teams touring India to play Afghanistan
“There is a lot of cricket happening in the next few months, so there won’t be any time for the Afghanistan cricketers to play any tour games now,” the source said.
While the U-19 players are presently training in Greater Noida for the Asia Cup under the watchful eyes of coach Andy Moles, the ‘A’ players are in Kabul gearing up for the inaugural edition of Afghanistan Premier League.
When contacted, Moles told this publication that he has not heard of any 'tour games' with West Indies yet. "We are lucky to be supported by the BCCI so much, but. We are travelling to Dhaka on September 27 for the U-19 Asia Cup, and as far I know, the A team is preparing for the APL. I haven't heard of any tour matches (against the West Indies) this time," he said.
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