PCB says tri-series on schedule despite Afghanistan pull-out
Despite the pull-out by Afghanistan, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday that the three-nation T20I tournament will be held on schedule, from November 17 to 29, in Lahore.
A senior PCB official said they are in talks with a few other boards to replace Afghanistan in the tri-series, in which Sri Lanka is the third team.
“The Tri-Series will progress as scheduled even after Afghanistan’s withdrawal. We are looking at a replacement team and once finalised, the announcement will be made. The Tri-Series features a third team in Sri Lanka, so it is on from 17th November,” he said.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced that it would not be sending its team to Pakistan for the tournament, citing the tragic death of three cricketers, which it claimed occurred during Pakistan’s air strikes in Paktika province.
Afghanistan has had no bilateral series with Pakistan since getting Test status, though its ‘A’ teams frequently visited the country before its recognition by the International Cricket Council (ICC). Many Afghan players have also trained in Pakistan. At one time, Pakistan had also allowed Afghanistan cricketers to play in its domestic events.
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A reliable source said that the international cricket department of the PCB was currently even looking at Associate member teams, including Nepal and the UAE, as replacements for Afghanistan, but their priority is to get a Test-playing nation to participate in the tri-series.
Pakistan will also host Sri Lanka for a three-match bilateral T20I series from November 11 to 15.
Pakistan’s relations with Afghanistan have been tense for a while now, even though the two teams participated in a tri-series, also featuring the UAE, in Sharjah prior to the Asia Cup.
Pakistani and Afghan spectators were seated in different enclosures to avoid clashes during the tri-series.
Published on Oct 18, 2025
