WEB DESK: Afghanistan have withdrawn from next month’s T20 tri-series in Pakistan following cross-border escalation between both countries.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) claimed that the recent attacks claimed lives of three local cricketers due to which the country will no longer play against Pakistan in the upcoming series in November. The board said that several people lost their lives in the attack, including players who were returning home after a friendly match in Sharana, the provincial capital. “The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” the board said in a statement posted on X. Calling the incident “tragic,” the ACB added that, as a mark of respect to the victims, it had decided to withdraw from the upcoming series.
Statement of Condolence
The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses its deepest sorrow and grief over the tragic martyrdom of the brave cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted this evening in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.
In… pic.twitter.com/YkenImtuVR
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 17, 2025
The tri-nation tournament, organised by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), was set to feature Pakistan, Afghanistan and Sri Lanka from November 17 to 29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore. It would have been the first time Afghanistan played an international series on Pakistani soil, despite having previously featured in multi-team tournaments held in the country, including the 2023 Asia Cup and this year’s Champions Trophy, without facing the hosts.
Pakistan and Afghanistan were scheduled to meet twice in the group stage, in the opening match on November 17 and again on November 23. The series was arranged amid already strained diplomatic relations between the two neighbours, which have worsened in recent months due to security concerns along their shared border.
The PCB has not yet issued an official response to Afghanistan’s withdrawal.