ICC backs Afghanistan participation in T-20 World Cup

KABUL (Pajhwok): The International Cricket Council (ICC) will continue supporting cricket in Afghanistan and participation of the men in blue in the upcoming World T-20 world cup.

“Our primary function is to support the development of cricket in that country through the member board,” ICC acting chief executive Geoff Allardice said on Sunday.

Allardice told a virtual news conference ahead of the Twenty20 World Cup which begins on October 17 that they had said all along that they were waiting to see how things unfold under the different regime in Afghanistan.

“The ICC board will consider it when they next meet which is looking like at the end of the T20 World Cup.”

Afghanistan are currently training in Qatar and will begin their Twenty20 World campaign against a qualifier in Sharjah on Oct 25.

Australia Test captain Tim Paine said teams might refuse to play Afghanistan at the T20 World Cup, but Allardice said there was no doubt over their participation in the showpiece event.

“They are a full member of the ICC and the team is preparing for the event at the moment and will be playing in Group B,” he said. “As far as their participation in the event, it’s proceeding as normal.”

The ICC official also confirmed that the 20-overs World Cup, last staged in 2016, will embrace the Decision Review System with each team having a maximum of two reviews per innings

Nh/ma

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