Both sets of players lined up on the field before the start of play for the national anthems after Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi won the toss and elected to bat first. Before the anthems began, the players and stadium fell silent for a minute as a mark of respect for the victims of the earthquake which rocked Afghanistan last Saturday, October 7.

A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck in Herat province at the weekend, centring on Zindajan, a rural district approximately 25 miles from Herat city. More than 1,000 people are thought to have been killed in the quake, and more than 500 people are still missing. According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, “100 per cent of homes are estimated to have been completely destroyed” in the district. The World Health Organisation has said at least 465 homes have been flattened.

There was further destruction on Wednesday morning when a quake of the same magnitude struck the same region at around 5:10am local time. Health officials have said more than 100 people have been injured in the second quake. Rescue teams are still working to find survivors trapped beneath the rubble.

The ACB Leadership & board members have decided to donate AFN 2 million to support earthquake victims in Herat Province. The ACB staff and national players are also collecting aids, which will be distributed to the affected families in an organized manner.#HeratEarthquake pic.twitter.com/3ltvYnvr9A

— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 8, 2023

Afghanistan often experiences earthquakes, most regularly in the Hindu Kush mountain range which is situated near the meeting point of the Eurasian and India tectonic plates. In June 2022, Paktika province was hit by a 5.9 magnitude quake which left tens of thousands of people homeless and more than 1,000 dead.

Afghanistan players are also wearing black armbands in the fixtures today as a tribute to the victims of this week’s disaster.