Zimbabwe Steps In After Afghanistan Pulls Out of Pakistan Series

Lahore: The Pakistan Cricket Board has found a replacement for the upcoming T20I tri-series after Afghanistan's dramatic withdrawal. Zimbabwe has agreed to step in and will join Pakistan and Sri Lanka for the tournament scheduled to run from November 17 to 29.

The announcement came just hours after Afghanistan confirmed they would not be sending their team to Pakistan, citing the tragic death of three young cricketers in what they called a cross-border airstrike in Paktika province.

A Quick Fix for PCB

The PCB moved swiftly to keep the tournament alive after Afghanistan's exit. In an official statement, the board simply said that "Afghanistan expressed their inability to participate in the tournament" without going into the sensitive details of why.

"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 17 to 29 November," the PCB announced on Saturday.

The series, which will be the first tri-nation tournament on Pakistan soil, is meant to give all three teams valuable practice ahead of the T20 World Cup 2026, scheduled to be held in India and Sri Lanka.

The Tragic Reason Behind Afghanistan's Exit

Earlier on Saturday, the Afghanistan Cricket Board had released a strong statement explaining their decision to withdraw. Three local cricketers—Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon—were killed after returning from a friendly match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province.

"The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan's sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family," the board said. They described the incident as a "cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime" and said withdrawing from the series was "a gesture of respect to the victims."

The incident also prompted Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan to remove his Pakistan Super League team, Lahore Qalandars, from his social media bio, sparking speculation that he might boycott the league altogether.

The New Schedule

The series will kick off on November 17 with Pakistan facing Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second match on November 19 will see Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe at the same venue.

After the two Rawalpindi games, all remaining fixtures will move to Lahore's iconic Gaddafi Stadium, including the final on November 29.

Here's the revised schedule:

Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium:

• November 17: Pakistan vs Zimbabwe

• November 19: Sri Lanka vs Zimbabwe

Gaddafi Stadium, Lahore:

• Remaining five matches including the final on November 29

What This Means

For Zimbabwe, this is an unexpected opportunity to get some quality game time before the World Cup. They weren't originally part of this series, but now they'll get to test themselves against two competitive sides in Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

For Pakistan, keeping the series intact was crucial. They need the practice matches ahead of the World Cup, and hosting the tournament also helps their case as a safe venue for international cricket.

But the bigger story remains the tragic loss of three young Afghan cricketers and the diplomatic fallout it has caused. Both the ICC and BCCI have condemned the incident and expressed solidarity with Afghanistan's cricket community.

As cricket tries to move forward with this series, the memory of Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon will linger—a reminder that sometimes the game exists in a world where much bigger and sadder things are happening.