Afghanistan’s T20 professional cricket tournament, which was due to start on Friday, has been postponed, a country cricket council (ACB) official said.
The Shpageeza Cricket League was expected to feature eight franchises – up from six in 2020 – including holders of the Kabul Eagles.
The best Afghan players, including world number three bowler T20, leg spinner Rashid Khan, were to play in the 15-day championship, which was to be played across the country.
However, after the Taliban took control of Afghanistan on August 15, the future of many sporting events in the country remains uncertain.
First organized in 2013, the Afghan Cricket Board (ACB) said this year’s Shpageeza would take place, even after the Taliban came to power.
But on Monday, a spokesperson for the CBA said it would not go ahead.
“Unfortunately the Shpageeza Cricket League has been postponed,” the spokesperson said. “We were hoping it could be staged, but it’s not feasible at the moment.
“The current financial situation in the country makes it impossible for such an event to take place, so the eight franchises and the Afghan Cricket Board have agreed that it should be postponed to a later date.
“We still hope to stage it in the future if the financial problems in Afghanistan are resolved.”
Granted test status in 2017, Afghanistan is expected to play in this year’s T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman, which begins in October.
The CBA was hoping that the Shpageeza tournament would also act as a warm-up for its players for that event.
Last month, the ACB canceled a three-game ODI streak in Pakistan, citing the situation in Afghanistan, travel difficulties and player well-being
