The Afghanistan national team have been declared personae non grata by the Hong Kong Immigration Department, which rejected a request from the sport's local governing body to invite the world's hottest associate member country to the Karp Group Hong Kong Sixes in October.
'We have made preliminary inquiries with Hong Kong Immigration Department officials about getting Afghanistan down for the Hong Kong Sixes and have been told there is no chance,' Hong Kong Cricket Association general manager Danny Lai said.
'They have indicated to us that unless our event was an Olympic qualifying event, or something similar to that on an Asian level, Afghanistan would not get visas,' Lai added.
In 2010, Afghanistan's cricketers were allowed to travel to the Asian Games in Guangzhou, where they reached the final against Bangladesh but had to settle for the silver medal.
A spokesperson for the Immigration Department said last night athletes coming to Hong Kong to take part in international sports events would be regarded as taking up employment and require an employment visa.
'Under the prevailing policy, the entry arrangement for employment does not apply to nationals of Afghanistan, Cambodia, Cuba, Laos, North Korea, Nepal and Vietnam,' the spokesperson said.
Afghanistan, who last month qualified for the ICC World Twenty20 in Colombo in September, have been targeted for the Hong Kong Sixes because of their ability to attract world interest.