Azizullah Fazli appointed acting president of Afghanistan Cricket Board

Azizullah Fazli was on Sunday appointed as the acting chairman of the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). Fazli’s appointment is the first major cricket-related development in the country since the Taliban took power on August 15 following the withdrawal of US troops and President Ashraf Ghani leaving the country for the UAE.

“Former ACB President Azizullah Fazli has been reappointed as ACB Executive Chairman. He will oversee ACB’s leadership and actions for the upcoming competitions,” ACB tweeted on Sunday.

Fazli had previously served as the chairman of the ACB after Atif Mashal resigned. He held the position from September 2018 to July 2019. He was replaced as chairman by Farhan Yousafzai after Afghanistan finished bottom of the points table in the 2019 Cricket World Cup in England.

Fazli has been associated with Afghanistan cricket for nearly two decades. He was among the earliest group of players to establish the sport in the country. After his playing days ended, he also served as ACB’s vice-president and advisor.

His first task will be to ensure that Afghanistan’s upcoming three-match ODI series against Pakistan in Sri Lanka goes smoothly despite various odds. With the resumption of commercial flights from Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, it is understood that players from Afghanistan will have to travel by road to Pakistan and fly to Sri Lanka from there.

Due to the increasing cases of Kovid-19, the series is in danger of being affected due to the 10-day lockdown imposed from Friday night across Sri Lanka.