Afghanistan’s cricket board has stepped away from next month’s T20I tri-series in Pakistan, citing respect for three club cricketers killed during fighting across the border in Paktika province.
The tournament – Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka, pencilled in for 17-29 November in Rawalpindi and Lahore – had only been confirmed a few weeks ago by the Pakistan Cricket Board. Plans are now in limbo.
In a brief post on X, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said several people died when shells landed in Urgun district on Tuesday evening. Among the victims were three players travelling home after what the board called a friendly match in Sharana.
“The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” the statement read. Calling the shelling a “tragic incident”, the board added that “as a gesture of respect to the victims” it had “decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series.”
It would have been Afghanistan’s first multi-team event staged on Pakistani soil, even though the two neighbours met in a similar tri-series in the UAE back in August. They also shared venues during the 2023 Asia Cup and this year’s Champions Trophy without facing each other on home turf.
Under the original draw Afghanistan and Pakistan were slated to open the competition on 17 November and then meet again on 23 November – fixtures that had attracted plenty of interest, not least because diplomatic relations remain scratchy.
The PCB has yet to issue a formal response, though officials in Lahore indicated on Wednesday they were “reviewing options” with Sri Lanka Cricket and broadcasters. A postponement, or a straight bilateral series between Pakistan and Sri Lanka, appears the simplest fix, but nothing is locked in.
Former Afghanistan captain Nawroz Mangal, speaking to local radio in Kabul, admitted the decision hurt players gearing up for the 2026 T20 World Cup qualifiers. Still, he felt it had to be done: “Security comes first; we’ve lost young lads who only wanted to play cricket.”
Analyst Urooj Mumtaz, on a late-night panel for PTV Sports, struck a similar note. “Cricket can wait,” she said. “When lives are lost so close to the game, taking a step back is the humane call.”
For Pakistan, the withdrawal removes valuable match practice before their own tour of Australia in December. Afghanistan, meanwhile, must reshuffle a domestic calendar already squeezed by weather and travel constraints.
No fresh dates have been floated. Given the political backdrop, both boards know that finding a safe, neutral setting – and convincing Sri Lanka to tag along – may end up being the only way the series survives in any form.
