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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) said on Saturday Zimbabwe had accepted its invitation to participate in a Twenty20 tri-nation series after Afghanistan’s decision to pull out of the tournament.

The withdrawal decision came after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said a day earlier Pakistani airstrikes had killed of its players in Paktika province close to the border with Pakistan. The strikes followed Islamabad’s repeated accusations against the Afghan authorities, blaming them for sheltering militant groups and facilitating their attacks against its civilians and security forces.

Pakistani officials said the attacks targeted a militant outfit responsible for a suicide bombing on a military compound in the northwest of the country.

“Zimbabwe Cricket has accepted the Pakistan Cricket Board’s invitation to participate in a T20I tri-series also featuring Sri Lanka, to be staged in Rawalpindi and Lahore from 17 to 29 November,” the PCB said in a statement.

“The maiden tri-series on Pakistan soil has been scheduled to provide all three sides with preparation ahead of next year’s ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, which will be held in India and Sri Lanka,” it added.

The PCB said the series will commence on 17 November, with hosts Pakistan taking on Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium.

The second fixture will also be played at the same venue on 19 November, when Sri Lanka take on Zimbabwe.

Following the two matches in Rawalpindi, the action will shift to Lahore’s Qaddafi Stadium, which will stage the remaining five matches, including the final on 29 November.

Earlier today, the PCB said it would finalize the third team to participate in the contest after Afghanistan’s announcement.

“The tri series is on and the third team will be finalized shortly,” a Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) spokesman told Arab News, without commenting on the skirmishes.

This would have been the second tri-series featuring Pakistan and Afghanistan in four months after both teams competed in a three-nation tournament in the United Arab Emirates in September.

Pakistan defeated Afghanistan in the final of that tournament.

KARACHI: Pakistan will develop a national action plan to conserve endangered shark species in the Arabian Sea, the maritime affairs minister said on Saturday, as the government steps up efforts to curb illegal fishing and protect marine biodiversity.

The plan, which will be prepared in consultation with provincial governments and fisheries authorities, is aimed at ensuring sustainable marine practices and meeting global conservation standards.

“The continued catching of banned sharks, including requiem, hammerhead, thresher, mackerel and whale sharks, threatens both marine biodiversity and Pakistan’s international conservation commitments,” Federal Minister for Maritime Affairs Muhammad Junaid Anwar Chaudhry said, according to an official statement.

He said the initiative would align with the Food and Agriculture Organization’s International Plan of Action for the Conservation and Management of Sharks, which urges countries to adopt national strategies to reduce waste and promote sustainable fishing.

Chaudhry noted the basking shark, a highly migratory species in the Arabian Sea, is classified as endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and faces growing threats from fishing nets and boat strikes.
Unsustainable fishing practices, he warned, risk damaging the country’s seafood trade and reputation if not urgently addressed.

The minister said consultations would include the Sindh and Balochistan fisheries departments and other relevant institutions to review current enforcement and monitoring systems for banned and vulnerable shark species.

He also called for closer coordination with international conservation organizations and regional fisheries bodies to strengthen Pakistan’s marine protection measures.

“These consultations will help create a unified strategy to protect shark populations while ensuring Pakistan’s fishing industry meets international sustainability standards,” Chaudhry said.

He also pointed out that protecting marine biodiversity was vital for the health of Pakistan’s coastal economy and the livelihoods that depend on it.