This is only the 3rd time Australia has been scheduled to play Afghanistan since the Taliban took over.

The first time, a single Test match, was cancelled in the immediate aftermath of the Western withdrawal and Taliban takeover.

The second time was in a World Cup, Teams only pull out of WC matches if there is a legitimate security risk. Even Pakistan and India still play their World cup matches, despite the precarious politics between the countries.

This is the third time. A 3 match ODI series to be held in the UAE.

They haven't had very many chances to make this call, and have been pressuring the ICC to make a decision on Afghanistan's future in the sport. The ICC have repeatedly voted to kick the can down the road.