Sri Lanka Force to Call Off Afghanistan's White-Ball Series Amid Middle East Conflict

Sri Lanka's six-match white-ball series against Afghanistan, scheduled to start this week in the UAE, has been indefinitely postponed. According to a Sri Lanka Cricket official, the cancellation was necessary due to the ongoing fighting in the region and resulting flight disruptions. The series was set to include three T20s and three ODIs.

Sri Lanka have indefinitely postponed a six-match white-ball series against Afghanistan that was due to start in the United Arab Emirates this week, an official said on Monday.

"We had to cancel because of the flight situation... and the ongoing fighting in the region," a Sri Lanka Cricket official told AFP.

The teams were scheduled to play three T20 internationals in Sharjah on March 13, 15 and 17, and three one-day internationals in Dubai on March 20, 22 and 25.

It would have been the first time that Afghanistan had hosted Sri Lanka for a bilateral series.

Middle East Conflict Halts Cricket Flights

Fighting has spread across the Middle East since the United States and Israel attacked Iran on February 28, with Tehran launching retaliatory strikes.

The conflict has disrupted flights across the region, including in Dubai, where the airport was briefly closed on Saturday as Iran fired drones and missiles at targets across the Gulf.

War-ravaged Afghanistan has never hosted an international cricket match, instead having to play its home fixtures in India or the UAE.