The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) spokesperson, Sayed Naseem Sadaat, announced on Tuesday that the board possesses clear video evidence implicating Pakistan in a fatal attack that killed three local cricketers in Afghanistan’s Urgun district. This serious incident has prompted Afghanistan to withdraw from next month’s Tri-Nation T20I Series, which was scheduled to be hosted by Pakistan.
This statement comes as the Pakistan government has denied earlier reports of cricketers being killed in an airstrike.
Sadaat asserted, “We have undeniable evidence, which the global cricket fraternity and people worldwide would have seen in our video report, confirming that the attack was carried out by a Pakistani state.”
The ACB had previously reported on X (formerly Twitter) last Friday that the attack resulted in multiple casualties, including three local cricketers — Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — as they were returning home after a friendly match in Sharana, Paktika province. An image related to this report showed the Afghanistan cricket team.
The ACB views this as a tremendous loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the broader cricketing family. The spokesperson further condemned this ‘barbaric attack’ that took the lives of the three cricketers.
Sadaat made a heartfelt plea: “We call upon all cricket boards to condemn such barbaric acts, as cricket is a game that carries a message of peace. Cricketers are peace ambassadors and should be kept away from the war. War should not interfere with sports. Therefore, we urge all cricket federations and boards to denounce these attacks and safeguard cricket from conflict.”
Both the International Cricket Council (ICC) and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) have expressed their solidarity with the ACB following this tragic event.
Subsequently, Zimbabwe has stepped in to replace Afghanistan in the tri-series, joining Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The series is slated to commence on November 17 in Rawalpindi, with Pakistan playing Zimbabwe in the opening match. Zimbabwe will then face Sri Lanka at the same venue. The remaining five matches, including the final on November 29, are scheduled to be played at Lahore’s Gaddafi Stadium.