Afridi postpones IDP relief match

Match to now take place after Sri Lanka due to non-availability of a suitable venue.

Shahid Afridi’s proposed Twenty20 match to raise money for people displaced by the military operation in the country’s northwest has been delayed due to the non-availability of a suitable venue.

The all-rounder had announced his intentions to hold the match during the launch of his foundation in Karachi last month.

On Monday, Afridi said the match would now take place after the tour of Sri Lanka, which will be completed at the end of August.

“I asked for Pakistan Cricket Board’s (PCB) permission to hold the match on a major Test venue like the Qaddafi stadium in Lahore. Due to maintenance work the board has asked us to hold the event after the Sri Lanka series,” he told The Express Tribune.

Afridi added that Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, former captain Imran Khan and some prominent cricketers have confirmed their participation in the match.

“Both the prime minister and Imran Khan are set to make an appearance; the idea behind the match is to raise maximum funds for the rehabilitation of the IDPs who are going through a real ordeal due to the ongoing military operation,” he said.

Pakistan’s tour of Sri Lanka ends with the third One Day International (ODI) in Dambulla on August 30.