The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) and its Pakistani counterpart have cancelled all proposed fixtures between the two countries following Wednesday’s (May 31) truck bomb in Kabul.
With the deadly explosion claiming 90 lives and injuring nearly hundreds of people, the ACB, on Wednesday, reacted strongly and cancelled friendly matches that was agreed between the two sides for later this year. Pakistan were set to play their first Twenty20 match in Kabul later this year followed by a fixture in Pakistan and a full series at an unspecified date. However, on Thursday (June 1), the cricketing ties between the two nations dipped further when Afghanistan’s intelligence agency blamed the attack on militants allegedly backed by Islamabad.
The ACB released a statement, saying that they have cancelled all the agreed cricket matches with a country “where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens”.
“In light of findings of security services and calls by the Afghan people, the ACB hereby cancels all kinds of cricket matches and mutual relationship agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
“No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is valid with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens,” the ACB statement read.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), on its part, meanwhile, extended its sympathies to the victims but at the same time, it hit back at the “baseless allegations” levelled by its Afghanistani counterpart. Not only that, the PCB also accused ACB of “playing politics”.
“The PCB strongly rejects the baseless allegations levelled by Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in the wake of the tragic Kabul blast,” the PCB said on its website.
“While our sympathies are with the victims and families affected by the tragedy, we reject the irresponsible statement made by the ACB and hereby announce the cancellation of the proposed series between the two countries.”
“It is also deeply regrettable that the ACB delegation in Pakistan was at pains to insist that politics should not impinge on cricket but has now turned around and is playing politics by laying the blame for its troubles and inadequacies on Pakistan.”