CA shelves Afghanistan series to pave way for Australian players to participate in IPL

Australia were scheduled to take on Afghanistan in the three-match ODI series in India. However, the series has been shelved to make room for the Australian players to participate in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The series was set to take place before the T20 World Cup.

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Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Cricket Australia (CA) in a joint statement announced that the series has been pushed back due to logistical issues and quarantine protocols. The boards further said they will continue to explore the opportunities of staging a T20I triangular series between Afghanistan, West Indies and Australia before the T20 World Cup.

"The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and Cricket Australia agreed to postpone the tour given the complexities of travel, quarantine periods and finding a suitable location for the matches given the relocation of the Twenty20 World Cup to the United Arab Emirates and Oman," the boards said in a statement.

"With the World Cup relocated from India to the United Arab Emirates and Oman, the ACB will continue to explore the possibility of hosting a proposed T20 tri-series involving Australia and the West Indies."

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Meanwhile, Cricket Australia (CA) will grant NOC's to the players who wish to play in the Indian Premier League (IPL). Most of the Australian players have not played cricket after the first leg of IPL thus participating in the second leg will be their best preparation for the T20 World Cup.

"No Objection Certificates will be granted to Australian players wishing to take part in the remaining upcoming Indian Premier League (IPL) matches to be played in the UAE," Cricket Australia said.

While fast bowler Pat Cummins is likely to skip the T20 tournament due to the impending birth of his first child, the likes of Smith, Maxwell, Curran among others have confirmed their availability and will be there to add to the charm of the T20 extravaganza.