A three-match ODI series between Afghanistan and Pakistan was postponed on Monday, according to media reports citing the Pakistan Cricket Board. The cricket series was originally scheduled for early September.

The Pakistani Cricket Board announced on Monday that their counterpart Afghan cricketing body requested the delay in the upcoming series following the collapse of the country’s government and the takeover by the Taliban. The series was planned to be hosted in Sri Lanka.

According to reports from Associated Press citing the statements from Pakistan’s Cricket Board the reasons for the delay were threefold. The board said that the unfolding political situation has made travel conditions tighter. Other reasons for postponing the three-match series was “players’ mental health issues” and an increase in the COVID-19 cases in Sri Lanka.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), on Sunday, named former chief Azizullah Fazli as the new acting chairman, the first appointment in the body since the Taliban have taken effective control of the country. Fazli served as the ACB chairman from September 2018 to July 2019.  

A tweet from the Afghanistan Cricket Board, which also carried pictures of Chief Executive Officer Hamid Shinwari greeting Fazli, read, “Former ACB Chairman @AzizullahFazli has been re-appointed as ACB’s acting Chairman. He will oversee ACB’s leadership and course of action for the upcoming competitions”.

Key Afghanistan players- spinners Rashid Khan and Mohammed Nabi – are not in the country at the moment. They have been competing in ‘The Hundred’ in the UK, representing the Trent Rockets and London Spirits respectively. The two, along with mystery spinner Mujeeb Ur Rahman, are due to compete in the remainder of the IPL in the UAE from September 19. 

The initial plan of the Afghanistan Cricket team was to take the long route to Sri Lanka for the ODI series. The team was scheduled to travel to Pakistan by road, followed by a connecting flight to Sri Lanka through Dubai.

The series, according to statements from the Pakistan Cricket Board, is likely to be rescheduled for next year, Associated Press reported.