LAHORE: With political acrimony between Pakistan and Afghanistan prevailing in the wake of Kabul blast on Wednesday that killed dozens in the Afghan capital, cricket governing bodies in both the countries announced to cancel the friendly T20 matches which were scheduled to be played in July and August this year in Kabul and Lahore respectively.

While the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), which earlier pledged not to mix sports with politics, issued a press release to declare the proposed friendly T20s cancelled, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB), in a tit for tat reaction to the ACB, announceed the cancellation of the proposed series between the two countries.

“By killing innocent and destitute people today, the enemies of Afghanistan’s peace and stability showed that they are not worthy of friendship and will not change their stance against Afghans,” maintained the ACB in an official statement issued following the tragic Kabul attack.

“In the light of the findings of security services and calls by the Afghan nation, the ACB hereby cancels all kinds of cricket matches agreement with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). No agreement of friendly matches is possible between both parties,” maintained the ACB.

Coming with a firm response, the PCB also issued a press release stating: “The PCB strongly rejects the baseless allegations levelled by Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in the wake of the tragic Kabul blast. 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.

“The PCB has always encouraged the development of cricket in Afghanistan and millions of Afghan refugees were first introduced to the game in Pakistan. Over the years, the PCB helped cricketers in Afghanistan develop their expertise and an entire generation of Afghan national players honed their cricketing skills in Pakistan.

“The informal understanding with the ACB last weekend was strictly subject to security conditions in Afghanistan, and now stands cancelled because of the continuing insecurity and instability there.

“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,” it concluded.

Last week, PCB’s top officials including its chairman Shaharyar Khan and executive committee head Najam Sethi welcomed ACB chief Atif Mashal who had visited the PCB offices in Lahore and announced during a news conference that both the cricket boards had signed an MoU under which both the nations will play matches at different levels. The two friendly T20s between the two countries first in Kabul and then in Lahore were also announced on the occasion.

The ACB chief also endorsed the PCB policy of not mixing sports with politics while admitting the political relations between the two countries were not exemplary. Amid all acrimonious circumstances, he had said, it was his job as the ACB head to look the other way round in order to promote cricket ties with the PCB.

Published in Dawn, June 2nd, 2017