KABUL/ISLAMABAD – The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the withdrawal of the national team from the upcoming T20I tri-series scheduled against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The decision was made following a fatal cross-border attack in the Urgun district of Afghanistan which resulted in the loss of several lives, including three local cricketers.
The T20I series, which had been arranged by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month, was scheduled to take place in Rawalpindi and Lahore between November 17 and 29.
In a statement posted on X, the ACB confirmed that the three deceased cricketers were returning home after participating in a “friendly” match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province.
The ACB described the incident as “tragic” and stated that it represented a “great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family”. The board confirmed that the withdrawal from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series was decided upon “as a gesture of respect to the victims”.
Series Context and Deteriorating Relations
The withdrawal casts immediate doubt on the viability of the tournament. Pakistan and Afghanistan were originally scheduled to play each other twice in the series: in the series opener on November 17, and again on November 23.
The cancelled series would have been the second tri-series involving Afghanistan and Pakistan this year, following their meeting in August prior to the Asia Cup. However, the tournament was due to be Afghanistan’s first T20I series on Pakistani soil. Afghanistan had previously played in the country earlier this year during the 2023 Asia Cup and the Champions Trophy, though they did not play against the host nation in those events.
Significantly, the tri-series had been finalized at a time when diplomatic relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan were already deteriorating.
As of the time of this report, the Pakistan Cricket Board has yet to comment on Afghanistan’s decision to withdraw from the tournament