Afghanistan have pulled out of a T20 international tri-series in Pakistan next month after the deaths of three local cricketers.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said the deaths were due to military strikes amid ongoing cross-border tensions between the two nations.
Pakistan and Afghanistan extended a 48-hour truce amid peace talks on Friday, reported Reuters, after clashes that have killed dozens.
Afghanistan were poised to play Pakistan and Sri Lanka in the tri-series between November 17 and 29 with two league-stage games scheduled between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The ACB said in a statement: “The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family.
“In response of this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming tri-nation T20I series.”
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan said he welcomed the decision while posting on social media platform X, writing that “national dignity must come before all else”.
The Pakistan Cricket Board has yet to comment on the development.
In the tri-series, the top two teams after Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka had played each other twice would have reached the final in Lahore on November 29.
