Kabul, April 11 (IANS) Afghanistan’s newly-appointed head coach Richard Pybus arrived in the capital city on Saturday to take charge of a month-long skill development camp aimed at preparing for the series against India, to be played in June.

Pybus, who has taken over the top job from Jonathan Trott, was received by Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) CEO Naseeb Khan on his arrival in Kabul. “During their meeting, the CEO outlined the ACB’s strategic goals and shared high expectations for the future of the national team as the new coach begins his tenure.

“Marking his first visit to the Afghan capital, Mr. Pybus also held meetings with officials from the Selection Committee, the International and Domestic Cricket departments, and the High-Performance Centre,” the ACB said in a statement shared on the social media platform X.

National captains Hashmatullah Shahidi and Ibrahim Zadran also joined the discussions, which focused on the upcoming series against India and tactical planning for the immediate training schedule. The month-long training camp is scheduled to commence on Sunday and will run till May 16.

“According to the ACB’s plan, a month-long training camp featuring nearly 40 Afghan players will be conducted under the direct supervision of the High-Performance Centre and in the presence of the new Head Coach.

“During this period, the AfghanAtalan will undergo rigorous and comprehensive preparation for their highly anticipated Test match and the three-match ODI series against India,” added the ACB.

Afghanistan’s tour of India will begin with a one-off Test to be played at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Chandigarh, which will host its first-ever red-ball international game.

This will be only the second time these two nations will face off in a Test match – their last encounter in the longest format was back in 2018 in Bengaluru, when Afghanistan made its debut. It is followed by a three-match ODI series to be played in Dharamsala, Lucknow, and Chennai on June 14, 17 and 20.

It is understood that discussions are reportedly ongoing between the ACB and BCCI regarding a potential three-match T20I series to be hosted by Afghanistan later in the UAE in 2026.

–IANS

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