A day after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) canceled the friendly matches against it, Pakistan on Friday barred its players and officials from the neighboring country’s Shpageeza Cricket League 2017. The league is slated to be held in July.

In a retaliatory measure, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) would not be issued to the players who were drafted in Afghanistan’s Shpageeza Cricket League this year.

“No Pakistani player or official can feature in the league,” a PCB statement read.

The ACB earlier issued a strongly worded statement, canceling the friendly matches and the initially agreed terms of the mutual cricketing relationship with Pakistan in the wake of a truck bombing in Kabul’s diplomatic quarter that claimed more than 80 lives and injured hundreds.

“The ACB hereby cancels all kinds of cricket matches and initial mutual relationship agreement with the PCB. No agreement of friendly matches and mutual relationship agreement is possible with a country where terrorists are housed and provided safe havens,” the Afghan board wrote on their official Facebook page.

(IANS)