Overview

• Afghanistan’s cricket board pulled out of next month’s T20 tri-series in Pakistan after saying three local players from Paktika’s Urgun district were killed in Pakistani strikes.
• Taliban officials reported at least 10 fatalities in Paktika and accused Islamabad of violating a short truce, while Pakistan said it hit Hafiz Gul Bahadur militant hideouts and denied targeting civilians.
• Senior delegations from Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan administration met in Doha, where Qatari mediators announced an immediate ceasefire with follow-up meetings to verify compliance.
• Pakistan sent its defence minister and intelligence chief to the talks as the Taliban dispatched a team led by the acting defence minister, underscoring high-level engagement to contain the border crisis.
• The ICC and India’s BCCI publicly mourned the players and condemned the violence, while Pakistan’s board said the tri-series would proceed and is seeking a replacement team, according to local reports.