Afghanistan not to play India in Tests in next FTP

Monitoring Desk

KOLKATA: Afghanistan is set to make its Test debut against India in June this year, but after the historic one-off match the two teams will not face each other in the longer format as per the new proposed Future Tours Programme (FTP) set for 2019-2022.

Having earned its Test status alongside Ireland in June last year, Afghanistan is set to take on India in its historic debut in Bengaluru from June 14. Even though Afghanistan will play all top nations, including Australia and England in the new FTP, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has failed to secure any other series against India.

“India are a tough team to get hold of because they are very busy. Since we are not in Test Championship, the inaugural Test match is good enough for us. We are playing 14-18 Tests in new FTP cycle,” ACB CEO Shafiq Stanikzai said on the penultimate day of the five-day ICC quarterly meeting.

“Against India we will be playing only one Test in Bengaluru as per earlier FTP. The new FTP is from 2019 to March 2022,” he added. He further said Afghanistan will play bilateral home and away series against England, Australia, West Indies, Zimbabwe, Ireland and Bangladesh in the next FTP.

“These series does not come under the Test Championship, these will be all bilateral series – home and away.” Stanikzai said Afghanistan is also considering day-night matches. “As of now it’s not yet decided. But there will be, we are deliberating.”

The ICC Chief Executives’ committee has already drawn up the fixtures, but it will have to be passed by the ICC Board before it is made public.

Afghanistan and Ireland were made full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC) in June this year, becoming the sport’s 11th and 12h Test-playing nations.