Kabul (Afghanistan): The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Saturday, October 18, announced its withdrawal from the upcoming T20 tri-nation series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, following the alleged death of three Afghan cricketers and five civilians in a Pakistani airstrike in Paktika province’s Urgun district.
The tri-series, organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was set to take place from November 17 to 29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore. It would have marked the first time Afghanistan and Pakistan competed in such a tournament on Pakistani soil this year. However, growing tensions and violent clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border have derailed the cricketing ties between the two nations.
In a statement posted on social media, the ACB expressed deep sorrow and grief over the incident. “In this heartbreaking incident, three players, Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, alongside five other civilians were martyred, and seven others were injured,” the board said. The players, the statement added, had traveled to Sharana for a friendly match and were attacked upon returning home.
Afghan Cricket Board Terms Attack As 'Cowardly Act'
Calling the airstrike a 'cowardly act carried out by the Pakistani regime,' the ACB described it as a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes and its cricketing family. As a mark of respect and solidarity with the victims, the board said it would not participate in the tri-series.
This development comes amid escalating border tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan. According to reports from Afghan news outlet Tolo News, Pakistan conducted airstrikes in Paktika’s Urgun and Barmal districts late Friday, allegedly targeting residential areas and causing multiple civilian casualties.
Pakistan Violates Ceasefire
The attacks are said to have violated a recently brokered 48-hour ceasefire between the two countries following several days of cross-border clashes that claimed dozens of lives on both sides. While Pakistan reportedly requested an extension of the truce until the completion of peace talks in Doha, Afghan authorities accused Islamabad of breaching the agreement.
This would have been the second tri-series between Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2025, following their earlier meeting in the UAE ahead of the Asia Cup. Cricketing relations between the two nations, which have often mirrored their volatile political dynamics, are now once again under strain.
The ACB concluded its statement by extending condolences to the victims’ families and reaffirming its commitment to stand with the Afghan people during this period of mourning.
