Pakistan bans its cricketers from the Afghan T20 league

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board has stopped its players from competing in Afghanistan's domestic Twenty20 league.

Karman Akmal, Umar Akmal and Babar Azam were among those Pakistan players contracted by franchises to compete in Shpageeza Cricket League, starting in Kabul from July 18.

But the PCB said in a statement Friday that none of the Pakistan players or the coaches will be issued the required No Objection Certificate for the league in Afghanistan.

"No Pakistani player or official can feature in the league," the PCB said.

Ties between the Afghanistan Cricket Board and the PCB have become tense in the aftermath of Wednesday's bomb attack in Kabul, which killed at least 90 people.

The Afghan board canceled two Twenty20s matches against Pakistan that were scheduled to be played in July and August.