Pakistan Cricket Board names replacement after Afghanistan withdraw from T20 tri-series

The Pakistan Cricket Board has shown desperation over the T20I tri-series, which is being organized for the first time on their soil and has quickly moved on from Afghanistan, pulling out of the competition by announcing their replacement.

The PCB had proposed a tri-series for the first time on their land, with Sri Lanka and Afghanistan announced as the other two teams alongside Pakistan. The series has been scheduled to be played from the 17th of November to the 29th of November in Rawalpindi and Lahore. 

The tri-series on Pakistan soil was meant to start the preparations for the three sides that are gearing up for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 in India and Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka was all set to make a return to playing in Pakistan after a long gap of 6 years. 

After Afghanistan withdrew from the competition as an aftermath of the heinous air strikes by the Pakistan army on the border territory, which killed 8 men, of whom three were Afghanistani cricketers, Pakistan's dream of a tri-series seemed in utter danger. 

However, PCB was still hopeful and was reportedly in talks with three boards. “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,” a senior PCB official had said earlier.

Zimbabwe have agreed on a tri-series participation in Pakistan 

The Zimbabwe team is one of the two teams, alongside Namibia, to have qualified for the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 from the African Qualifiers. Though not like Afghanistan, which was the semi-finalist of the last World Cup, Zimbabwe has also posed a tough challenge to both these teams, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, in the recent past. 

 The Zimbabwe Cricket Board has agreed to participate in the PCB's T20I tri-series. The tournament will kickstart with Pakistan taking on Zimbabwe at Rawalpindi on the 17th of November. The schedule remains as before. 

Before the start of the tri-series, Pakistan will host Sri Lanka for a bilateral T20 series starting on the 11th of November. The ACB conflict with PCB is a huge setback for both teams, since ACB was initially supported largely by Pakistan, as their players were even allowed participation in domestic tournaments; however, nothing can be looked over after the airstrikes on Paktika. 

New T20I Tri-Series schedule

17 Nov: Pakistan v Zimbabwe – Rawalpindi

19 Nov: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe – Rawalpindi

22 Nov: Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Lahore

23 Nov: Pakistan v Zimbabwe – Lahore

25 Nov: Sri Lanka v Zimbabwe – Lahore

27 Nov: Pakistan v Sri Lanka – Lahore

29 Nov: Final – Lahore

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