Despite Afghanistan pull-out, PCB announces to still host the tri-series on schedule

“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,” the PCB official said.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has 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 in Pakistan’s air strikes in Paktika province.

Afghanistan has had no bilateral series with Pakistan since getting Test status although its A teams frequently visited the country before their recognition by the International Cricket Council and many Afghan players also trained in the country. At one time, Pakistan had also allowed Afghanistan cricketers to play in their domestic events.

A reliable source said that the international cricket department of the PCB was currently even looking at associate member teams including Nepal and UAE as replacements for Afghanistan, but their priority is to get a Test playing nation to participate in the tri-series.