Three local cricketers were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province. Holding Pakistan responsible for the attack, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced that they would not participate in the upcoming tri-nation series. Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi has strongly criticized Afghanistan for blaming Pakistan for the attack. He reminded them of Pakistan’s long-standing sacrifices and support for Afghanistan.
On his X (Twitter) handle, Afridi wrote, “Pakistan has always stood by our Afghan brothers, sharing their pain as our own. The borders were opened for our brothers. We sheltered 4 million refugees. Within my capacity, I personally look after 350 Afghan families. Yet, with great sadness, I must say that in recent times Afghanistan has forgotten these favors and carried out open aggression at the border. In response, our forces have acted accordingly.”
He further wrote, “Afghanistan should remember that Pakistan is its brotherly Islamic country. Therefore, Afghanistan should not allow itself to be used by any nation that is already aiding terrorists within Pakistan.”
The upcoming tri-nation series is scheduled to begin on November 17 in Pakistan. Sri Lanka was also set to participate alongside Pakistan and Afghanistan.
However, according to Indian media outlet The Times of India, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to hold the series on schedule even if Afghanistan does not participate. PCB has already started discussions with other cricket boards to find a replacement team. A PCB official told the media, “Even after Afghanistan’s withdrawal, the tri-series will take place as scheduled. We are looking for alternatives, and an announcement will be made once it is finalized.”
