Afghanistan has withdrawn from the upcoming Tri-Nation Series, scheduled to be held next month and involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, following deadly airstrikes by Pakistan in the Paktika province. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced the decision on Friday, October 17, 2025, after confirming that three local cricketers were among those killed in the attacks.
The ACB identified the deceased players as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon. According to the ACB, the cricketers had traveled from Urgun to Sharana in Paktika province, near the Pakistan border, to participate in a friendly match. They were allegedly targeted "during a gathering" upon their return to Urgun. The ACB condemned the incident as a "cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime". Besides the three cricketers, five other people were also killed in the attack.
The withdrawal from the Tri-Nation Series serves "as a gesture of respect to the victims". The ACB expressed its condolences and solidarity with the bereaved families, stating that the deaths represented "a great loss for Afghanistan's sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family".
The airstrikes, which occurred late Friday, reportedly killed at least 10 civilians and wounded 12 others, including two children. According to a senior Taliban official, the strikes targeted three locations in Paktika province and violated a 48-hour ceasefire that had recently been established. "Pakistan has broken the ceasefire and bombed three locations in Paktika," the official told AFP, adding, "Afghanistan will retaliate".
In Pakistan, a security official stated that the "precision aerial strikes" targeted the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, a faction linked to Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban. Islamabad claims that this group was involved in a suicide bombing and gun attack on a military camp in North Waziristan, which resulted in the deaths of seven Pakistani paramilitary troops. Pakistan has long accused Afghanistan of harboring TTP militants, a charge Kabul denies.
The news of the airstrikes and the cricketers' deaths has sparked outrage and condemnation within Afghanistan. Afghan international cricketer Fazalhaq Farooqi wrote on Facebook, "The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime". Mohammad Nabi, another international player, added, "This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole".
The situation remains tense, with the Taliban official vowing retaliation for the airstrikes. The future of relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan is uncertain following this recent escalation of violence. The cancellation of the Tri-Nation Series adds another layer of complexity to the already strained relationship, impacting the regional sporting landscape.
