WEB DESK: The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced its decision to withdraw from a T20I tri-nation series scheduled in Pakistan next month, citing the deaths of three Afghan cricketers in an alleged strike by Islamabad.
In a statement on social media platform X, the ACB reported that three players identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon as well as five others from Urgun district, lost their lives in the incident. Additionally, seven individuals sustained injuries. The players had reportedly traveled to Sharana to participate in a friendly cricket match.
Describing the event as a significant loss for Afghanistan’s sports and cricketing community, the board expressed its grief. Consequently, the ACB decided to withdraw from the tri-nation series, originally scheduled to take place in November.
Afghanistan’s star spinner Rashid Khan expressed support for the ACB’s move, sharing his approval on X regarding the decision to forgo the matches.
The series, set to be hosted by Pakistan from November 17 to 29, also included Sri Lanka as one of the participating teams. However, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesperson Amir Mir stated that the tournament would proceed as planned, with another team to replace Afghanistan in due course.
