Daily Times

LAHORE: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) on Thursday rejected a statement issued by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in which the latter levelled serious allegations against Pakistan and withdrew from playing ‘all cricket matches’ against it. Afghanistan on Wednesday night had cancelled proposed home and away cricket fixtures with Pakistan after a deadly bomb attack blamed by the country’s intelligence agency on militants allegedly backed by Islamabad. The ACB statement went on to say: “No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens.” No group has claimed responsibility for the deadly attack, although the Taliban have denied involvement. The episode marks a particular low in what was once seen as a model relationship between a Full Member and an Associate side of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

The PCB, rejecting the ACB statement, termed it as ‘baseless allegations’ about Islamabad backing terrorism. “While our sympathies are with the victims and families affected by the tragedy, we reject the irresponsible statement made by the ACB.” In a tit-for-tat reaction, the PCB, citing security concerns, also announced that it was cancelling 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 PCB recalled. “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 itself.” The PCB statement added that Afghanistan was laying the blame for its troubles and inadequacies on Pakistan.

The agreement between ACB and the PCB was signed last week, which also included providing Afghanistan team venues for training and conditioning camp. The two boards also struck a similar sort of deal back in 2013, where the Afghan players were also given access to train in the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The move comes as a major blow in reviving cricketing ties between two countries and it also mounts doubts on the participation of the six Pakistan players including Akmal brothers, Sohail Tanvir and Babar Azam in the upcoming Shpageeza Twenty20 League. The development leaves Pakistan cricket even more isolated in the region, and in an awkward position of strained ties with their fellow Asian cricketing nations, with the exception of Sri Lanka. India has refused to play a full series since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, while ties with fellow Test team Bangladesh have also soured after Pakistan pulled out of a planned series in July. Only minnows Zimbabwe have been willing to tour the insecurity-wracked country since a 2009 militant attack on the visiting Sri Lanka team.

Cricketing relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan were not always so frosty. Afghans learned to play cricket in refugee camps in Pakistan after they were forced to leave their homes in the wake of the Soviet invasion in 1979. The sport struggled to get a foothold in Afghanistan under the hardline Taliban, but has become hugely popular since the Islamist regime was toppled in a US-led invasion in 2001. While Pakistan has supported the Afghan team by supplying equipment and arranging fixtures with the fledgling side, rival India has also been keen to lend its support. Last year, Afghanistan’s national team shifted its base from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates to Noida, Delhi, while India’s former batsman Lalchand Rajput replaced Pakistan’s Inzamamul Haq as their national team coach.