In a tragic turn of events, three Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Saturday. The board has also withdrawn from its upcoming T20 Tri-Nation Series involving Pakistan in protest.
According to the ACB, the players — Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — were among eight people killed when Pakistani fighter jets targeted the Urgun district of Paktika. The young cricketers had recently returned from Sharana, the provincial capital, after participating in a friendly cricket match.
“In this heartbreaking incident, three players (Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon), alongside five other fellow countrymen from Urgun District, were martyred, and seven others were injured,” the board said in a statement, calling it a “devastating blow to Afghanistan’s sports community.”
The ACB extended its “deepest condolences and solidarity” to the bereaved families and the people of Paktika, emphasizing that the attack had robbed the nation of “aspiring young talents who dreamed of representing Afghanistan on the global stage.”
In a symbolic response, the board announced its withdrawal from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series, which was scheduled to take place in late November and feature Pakistan.
“In response to this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan,” the statement read.
Afghanistan’s T20 captain Rashid Khan condemned the airstrikes in a strong statement on X (formerly Twitter), calling them “immoral and barbaric.”
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan — a tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers. Such unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed,” Khan wrote.
He further endorsed the ACB’s decision to step back from the series, saying, “Our national dignity must come before all else.”
The airstrikes, carried out by Pakistan on Friday, targeted areas in Paktika province, escalating tensions between the two neighbors. Afghan authorities have accused Islamabad of violating the fragile ceasefire agreement and warned of consequences if such attacks continue.
