Pakistan Ends Sports Cooperation with Afghan Players

DID Press: Amid escalating political tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has taken an unprecedented step by banning Afghan players from participating in its premier league.

The PCB announced in a controversial decision that Afghan players will be barred from the next season of Pakistan’s premier league.

This decision followed several Afghan players removing references to the Pakistan league from their social media pages—an action the league authorities described as “disrespectful” and “disregarding the value of the competition.”

The ban comes at a time when political relations between Kabul and Islamabad have sharply deteriorated in recent months.

With Afghan players excluded from Pakistan’s premier league, Afghanistan loses one of its key pathways for developing professional-level talent.

Until now, Pakistan had been the only country regularly conducting bilateral matches and technical cooperation with Afghanistan. The remaining options for the Afghan team are limited to countries such as Oman, the UAE, and Zimbabwe, while major cricket powers continue to show little willingness for joint planning with Kabul.