IND Vs AFG: Play one match and sit out for 6 months?; Afghanistan coach fumes over ICC’s strange schedule

• Play one match and sit for 6 months?
• Richard Pybus unhappy with Test schedule
• Afghanistan next test schedule

Afghanistan team is all set to play its first Test match in 2026 against India. However, before the only test match, Afghanistan cricket team’s head coach Richard Pybus (Richard Pybus) has raised a question mark on the ICC regarding the team’s test schedule. According to him, once a country becomes a full member, its Test match schedule should be regular. If a Test match has to wait six months for the next match, then the ICC has to answer that.

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Richard Pybus unhappy with Test schedule

Regarding Afghanistan’s irregular Test schedule, Richard Pybus said in a press conference ahead of the match against India, ‘When a country gets full membership, it also needs regular matches. It is not right to play a Test match and wait six months for the next one. It cannot be that the development of the team depends only on the chance of the World Cup. Consistent cricket is essential to keep the team progressing. This question should be asked of the ICC, not Afghanistan.’

He added, ‘I don’t think anyone could have imagined 20 years ago that Afghanistan would develop so fast. When these series were going to be two games, I didn’t understand it at all. No team likes to play a draw. Test series should be of three or five matches only. Only then the series can have some result.’

When did Afghanistan play their first test match?

Afghanistan became a full member of the ICC in 2017. The team then played their first Test match against India in Bangalore in 2018. However, Afghanistan have played only 12 Test matches since then. Out of these, they have won five matches and lost seven. In 2026 also, Afghanistan will play their first Test match against India.

Afghanistan next test schedule

After playing a single Test against India in June 2026, Afghanistan will also play a single Test against Australia in August. The team’s next Test match will be against Zimbabwe in March 2027. It is for this reason that Afghanistan’s head coach has criticized the ICC over the team’s Test schedule. Afghanistan played their last Test match in October 2025. This means the team has been away from Test cricket for roughly eight months before the current match against India.

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