Afghanistan head coach Richard Pybus has called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to provide his team with a proper, structured Test match calendar, arguing that isolated one-off fixtures are insufficient to build a sustainable red-ball cricket programme. His remarks came at the pre-match press conference ahead of Afghanistan's second Test against India, set to begin on Saturday in Chandigarh.

The Case for a Full Fixture List

Pybus was unambiguous in his demand, insisting that full ICC membership must come with meaningful scheduling support. 'When a country gets full membership, it's one thing to get it; then you need a full fixture list. I'd like to see, going forward, that the other senior full members also start to build out the list. We need to be in a situation now where there's a proper fixture list,' he said.

He also acknowledged the role of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) in providing Afghanistan with competitive opportunities. 'Credit to the BCCI. They've given us plenty of cricket this year, which is fantastic for us to be able to develop,' Pybus added.

Why One-Off Tests Hurt Development

The coach was pointed in his criticism of the one-off Test format, arguing it breaks the continuity that player development demands. 'To play one Test and have a four or five-month break before you play your next Test match — whatever you're going to learn, there needs to be a concentration of learning,' he explained.

Pybus made clear that three or five-match series are the minimum required for meaningful growth. 'If we're playing a three-Test series, you can back that up, Test after Test after Test. If you're playing five Tests, that's even better. When the series started to become a two-Test series, to me, it made absolutely no sense because you don't want a series that is a tie. There needs to be a three or five-Test series so that you can actually win the series,' he said.

Afghanistan was granted Test status in 2018, but has played only a handful of red-ball matches since — a reflection of the scheduling gaps Pybus is pushing back against.

India Challenge and Home Advantage

Pybus was respectful but clear-eyed about the scale of the challenge his side faces in India. 'You come to India, and you play India in India — it's one of the great challenges in world cricket, and it always has been. There is no doubt that India are incredibly challenging to beat at home, not only because of the quality of the players but obviously their understanding of their home conditions,' he said.

Rashid Khan's Test Future in Doubt

One of the more pressing concerns Pybus addressed was the Test match availability of star leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who is managing a long-standing back complaint compounded by a packed global cricket schedule. 'Rashid has got this long-standing back complaint. He's got such a huge volume of cricket — he's got to manage himself. I look forward to having that conversation to see how we can support him, not only just with the opportunity to maybe continue to play some red-ball cricket if there is potential for that, but generally make sure he can play as long and as healthy as possible for Afghanistan,' Pybus said.

Pybus took charge of the Afghanistan setup after Jonathan Trott stepped down following the Men's T20 World Cup. His public push for ICC scheduling reform signals that structural advocacy will be as central to his tenure as on-field results.