- Afghanistan pulls out after accusing Pakistan of airstrikes in Paktika province that allegedly killed some of its players
- PCB confirms tournament to proceed as planned, with Zimbabwe stepping in as the third team along with Sri Lanka
- First-ever tri-series on Pakistani soil, serving as preparation for next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup
ISLAMABAD: Zimbabwe has accepted Pakistan’s invitation to join a Twenty20 tri-nation series alongside Sri Lanka, following Afghanistan’s withdrawal from the tournament amid rising tensions between Islamabad and Kabul, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) announced on Saturday.
Afghanistan pulled out of the series a day after its cricket board claimed that Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika province had killed some of its players. The strikes came in the wake of Islamabad’s repeated accusations that Kabul was harbouring militant groups responsible for cross-border attacks on Pakistani security forces and civilians.
Pakistani officials maintained the airstrikes targeted a militant outfit behind a recent suicide bombing at a military installation in the country’s northwest.
“Zimbabwe Cricket has accepted the Pakistan Cricket Board’s invitation to participate in a T20I tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka, to be staged in Rawalpindi and Lahore from November 17 to 29,” the PCB said in a statement.
It added that the tri-series—the first of its kind to be hosted on Pakistani soil—would serve as preparation for all three sides ahead of next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka.
According to the schedule, Pakistan will open the tournament against Zimbabwe on November 17 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second fixture, between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe, will also be played at the same venue on November 19.
The remaining five matches, including the final on November 29, will be held at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.
Earlier in the day, a PCB spokesperson confirmed that the tournament would proceed as planned despite Afghanistan’s exit, saying, “The tri-series is on and the third team will be finalized shortly.”
This would have been the second tri-series featuring Pakistan and Afghanistan in four months, following their participation in a three-nation tournament in the United Arab Emirates in September, where Pakistan defeated Afghanistan in the final.
Earlier late on Friday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said that it was pulling out of a T20I tri-nations series scheduled to be held in Pakistan next month after alleging that three cricketers were killed in a strike carried out by Islamabad.
In a post on social media platform X late Friday night, the ACB said three players—identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon—and “five other countrymen” from Urgun district were killed and seven others were injured in a strike.
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
It said the players had earlier travelled to Sharana to participate in a friendly cricket match.
“The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” the cricketing board said. As a result, the ACB decided to withdraw from participating in the tri-nation series scheduled to be played in November.
Afghanistan’s ace spinner Rashid Khan, in a post on X, said he welcomed the ACB’s decision to withdraw from the upcoming fixtures against Pakistan.
