Abdul Razzaq quits Afghan cricket league after Kabul blast

Former Pakistan cricketer Abdul Razzaq who was in Afghanistan as a part of the Shpageeza Cricket League has quit the tournament following a suicide blast near a cricket stadium. Afghanistan’s premier domestic Twenty20 tournament, the Shpageeza League comprises of six teams and features over two dozen overseas players from all across the globe.

The blast took place on Wednesday in Kabul, the same locale where the stadium is situated. Three people were killed in the marring incident, which occurred during the match between Boost Defenders and MIS Ainak Knights. The attacker detonated the bomb after he was stopped at a security checkpoint as he walked towards the stadium, injuring five other people in the explosion.

According to Shafiqullah Stanikzai, ACB’s chief executive officer, the blast occurred during the fourth over of Knights’ chase of 202. Previously, Protea batsman Cameron Delport had scored a 42-ball century to power the Defenders to 201 for 6, which was seven runs too many for Knights

Majority of the international players held a meeting to decide to leave Kabul

Razzaq was the only Pakistani player in the tournament, playing for the Amo Sharks franchise. He revealed to Express News on the phone that he was at his hotel at the time of the blast. And the hotel was just five minutes’ drive away from the stadium.

The former Pakistan international said, “I was watching the other match on TV when I heard the loud blast. All the players were terrified. I had immediately decided to return but the organizers convinced me to play one more match.”

“I played a match on Thursday wherein I made 30 runs but did not bowl. I will return to Pakistan in a day or two.”

The veteran Pakistan all-rounder revealed that immediately after the blast, a large proportion of foreign cricketers participating in the tournament held a meeting decided to leave Kabul. Zimbabwe Cricket has also ordered its national cricketer to catch the first flight back home in wake of the blast.