The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) spokesperson, Sayed Naseem Sadaat, has vehemently condemned a recent airstrike in Paktika province, which resulted in the deaths of three Afghan cricketers. Sadaat has urgently called upon global cricket boards to denounce the attack, emphasizing that the ACB has clear evidence pointing to Pakistan’s involvement.
In response to this tragic incident, the ACB has officially withdrawn its participation from the eagerly anticipated Tri-Nation T20I Series, which was scheduled to involve Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Pakistan has since confirmed that Zimbabwe will replace Afghanistan in the tournament.
The three cricketers, identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, were among eight individuals who lost their lives in the airstrike that occurred in the Urgun district. An additional seven people were reportedly injured. The players had recently visited Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, for a friendly cricket match and were targeted during a gathering upon their return to Urgun.
Sadaat passionately appealed to the international cricket community, stating, “We call upon all the cricket boards to condemn such barbaric attacks because cricket is a game that carries the message of peace. Cricketers are peace ambassadors, and they should be kept away from war. War should not interfere with sports. So we call upon all the cricket fraternity and boards to condemn such attacks and keep cricket away from war.”
He further asserted, “We possess unequivocal evidence that the attack was carried out by the Pakistani state. The entire cricket fraternity and people worldwide would have undoubtedly seen our video report on the incident, which was compiled by our media team.”
The ACB’s decision to withdraw from the tri-series was met with strong support from the national team players. Sadaat noted, “The decision taken by ACB management was welcomed by all of our national team players, including the senior players. They all agreed with the decision, expressed their grief and sorrow, and extended their condolences to the families of the martyred cricketers and other innocent people in the area.”
In its official statement, the Afghanistan board characterized the attack as “a cowardly act carried out by the Pakistani regime.”
The revised Tri-Nation T20I Series is now set to commence on November 17 at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium, with Pakistan facing Zimbabwe. The second match will feature Zimbabwe against Sri Lanka at the same venue on November 19. The remaining five matches, culminating in the final on November 29, will be hosted at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.