The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has strongly condemned a deadly airstrike in the Paktika province, which killed three Afghan cricketers and injured several others. The tragic incident took place in the Urgun district, with the ACB claiming it was carried out by the Pakistani state, citing video evidence from their media team.
The three players – Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon had travelled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika, for a friendly match and were killed during a gathering after returning home.
ACB spokesperson Sayed Naseem Sadaat, in an interview with ANI, urged the global cricketing community to condemn the attack.
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“Cricket is a game of peace. Cricketers are peace ambassadors and should never be dragged into war,” he said.
As a mark of protest, the ACB has withdrawn from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series that was to involve Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. Sadaat confirmed that the decision was unanimously supported by Afghanistan’s national team, including senior players, who expressed grief and offered condolences to the victims’ families.
In response, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has confirmed that Zimbabwe will replace Afghanistan in the tri-series. The tournament will now begin on November 17, with matches split between Rawalpindi and Lahore.
The ACB called the airstrike a “cowardly act” and reiterated its call to keep politics and war away from the game of cricket.
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