KABUL, (Web Desk) – The Afghanistan Cricket Board has a new chairman, Azizullah Fazli. His appointment is the country’s first significant cricketing development since the Taliban took control of the political reins when Western forces withdrew and the democratic government collapsed.
Fazli was appointed head of the ACB in September 2018 when Atif Mashal resigned, and he lasted until July 2019, when he was replaced by Farhan Yusufzai following Afghanistan’s bottom-place result at the 2019 World Cup in England.
The Taliban met with ACB officials on Sunday, prompting Fazli’s return to the chairmanship. Fazli has been a part of Afghanistan cricket for almost two decades, and was one of the first players to bring the game to the nation. He has previously worked as the ACB’s vice-chairman and adviser, as well as being active in the country’s internal and regional administration.
Fazli’s first priority will be to ensure that Afghanistan’s forthcoming One-Day International series against Pakistan in Sri Lanka goes through despite various obstacles. Because commercial flights from Kabul airport have yet to resume since the Taliban took control, the ACB’s contingency plan for Afghanistan’s players is to go by road to Pakistan and then fly to Sri Lanka. The series might potentially be harmed by the 10-day curfew that has been enforced in Sri Lanka in response to an increase of Covid-19 cases.
