NEW DELHI – The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Friday a heartbreaking decision: the national team will withdraw from a planned tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka next month. This comes after a tragic incident saw three local cricketers lose their lives in an attack. The victims had traveled from Urgun to Sharana, in the eastern Paktika province near the Pakistan border, to play a friendly match. According to the ACB, they were targeted during a gathering upon their return to Urgun in what the board described as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.”
The ACB officially named the three fallen players as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon. Tragically, five other individuals also perished in the assault, though specific details surrounding the incident remain scarce. The board conveyed its profound sorrow, calling this “a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family.” They extended their deepest condolences and solidarity to the grieving families.
The withdrawal from the upcoming tri-series was a direct consequence of this tragedy, serving as “a gesture of respect to the victims.” The cricket world reacted with shock and sorrow. Afghan international cricketer Fazalhaq Farooqi took to social media, expressing his anguish: “The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime.” Echoing his sentiments, fellow international player Mohammad Nabi remarked, “This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”