Afghanistan pulls out of Pakistan tri-series after airstrikes kill three cricketers

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Saturday announced its withdrawal from the upcoming tri-nation T20 series featuring Pakistan and Sri Lanka, after three Afghan domestic players were killed in airstrikes allegedly carried out by Pakistan’s military regime in Paktika province. The ACB condemned the attack as “a cowardly assault carried out by the Pakistani regime.”

Afghanistan had been scheduled to play in the series in Lahore and Rawalpindi from November 5 to 29. The board said its decision was “a gesture of respect” to the victims and their families.

“In this heartbreaking incident, three players (Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon) alongside 5 other fellow countrymen from Urgun District were martyred, and seven others were injured,” the ACB statement said. “The players had earlier traveled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket match. After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering. The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family.”

The board extended its “deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families of the martyrs and to the people of Paktika Province.”

Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been rising since October 11, when fierce border clashes broke out after Afghan forces reportedly attacked Pakistani military posts. A brief 48-hour ceasefire was later shattered when Pakistan allegedly conducted airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Argun and Bermal districts, hitting residential areas along the Durand Line. The Taliban condemned the attacks as violations of the truce, even as delegations from both countries met in Doha for crisis talks.

Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan denounced the attacks as “immoral and barbaric,” saying the victims included children and aspiring cricketers. “I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage,” he said.

“It is absolutely immoral and barbaric to target civilian infrastructure. These unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed. In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time; our national dignity must come before all else.”

Afghanistan’s withdrawal marks a significant setback for Pakistan’s push to restore international cricket at home. The tri-series would have been Afghanistan’s second tour of Pakistan this year after the Champions Trophy, held under a hybrid model.

India, which has boycotted bilateral cricket with Pakistan since 2012–13, only faces its neighbour in multinational events. The strain in regional cricket ties deepened after the Asia Cup controversy earlier this year, when Pakistan’s cricket chief Mohsin Naqvi reportedly declined to hand the trophy to India following tensions linked to cross-border violence and diplomatic friction.