Afghanistan Refuses to Play Against Pakistan, Will Tour India for U19 Tri-Series in November 2025

Afghanistan Refuses to Play Against Pakistan

A significant political and sporting event has rocked the cricket community in Asia. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has made a formal announcement that Afghanistan will not play T20 cricket against Pakistan, following air strikes conducted by Pakistan inside Afghanistan that allegedly killed three young Afghan cricketers.

As a result, the Afghanistan team has officially withdrawn from the proposed tri-nation series, consisting of teams from Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan, that was due to take place next month. Instead, Afghanistan will send its Under 19 team to India to participate in a preparatory tri series tournament ahead of the 2026 ICC U19 Cricket World Cup.

Political Issues Hurt Cricket Friendship

The cricket relationship between Afghanistan and Pakistan hasn’t been smooth lately, and a recent event made things worse. Pakistan’s military supposedly did airstrikes that killed three young Afghan cricket players, causing anger all over Afghanistan.

Because of this, the Afghanistan Cricket Board said they won’t send any of their teams to Pakistan for the next series. This choice shows they’re serious about their political stance and that they stand with the victims’ families.

Pakistan hasn’t said anything officially yet, but canceling the series is a bad sign for how these two countries get along when it comes to cricket.

Also Read: India vs New Zealand 2026 Schedule Announced: 3 ODIs, 5 T20Is in January

Afghanistan U19 to India Tour for Tri-Series

In the midst of escalating tensions, the ACB has confirmed that the Afghanistan Under-19 cricket team is scheduled to visit India in November 2025. The tri-series has been planned as a dose of real match situations to the dream Afghan side in the run-up to the U19 Cricket World Cup 2026, which will be held in Zimbabwe and Namibia.

The tournament will feature three teams, namely, Afghanistan U19, India U19 A, and India U19 B. The matches will be held at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru only which is a world-class facility known for the development of young cricketing talent.

Youth ODI Tri-Series 2025: Full Schedule

Each team will play two games against the other sides before the top two qualify for the final on November 30, 2025.

In January and February 2026, Zimbabwe and Namibia will host the Under-19 Cricket World Cup 2026, which will feature 16 competing teams divided into four groups, with the top three qualifying for the Super Six stage.

For Afghanistan, the Indian tri-series is an essential opportunity to mould their young squad ahead of a mega event. The ACB feels playing in Indian conditions will allow the squad to adapt better to subcontinental pitches and gain exposure to higher-quality youth teams, including India’s U19 sides.