KABUL (Rajeev Sharma): The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced its immediate withdrawal from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I cricket series after three Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in the southeastern province of Paktika. The strike, which took place on Friday, has sparked outrage across Afghanistan and cast a shadow over ongoing peace efforts between the two countries.
The ACB released an official statement expressing sorrow and anger over the loss, confirming that the players — identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — were killed in Urgun district after returning from a friendly cricket match in Sharana, the provincial capital. According to local sources, the airstrike hit a gathering of civilians, leaving at least eight dead and several others injured.
“This tragic incident has shaken our entire cricketing community,” the board said. “We mourn the loss of three of our players who represented the spirit and passion of Afghan cricket. Their deaths are a stark reminder of the innocent lives lost in this escalating conflict.”
The ACB described the attack as “an unjustified act of aggression” and confirmed that Afghanistan would not take part in the scheduled T20I series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka later this year.
“As a mark of respect for the departed and in protest of this horrific act, we have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the series,” the statement continued.
Rising Tensions Undermine Sport and Diplomacy
The incident comes at a time of heightened tension between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Both nations had agreed to a short-term ceasefire earlier in the week, following several days of cross-border clashes. However, the fragile truce was broken on Friday when Pakistan reportedly launched multiple air raids in Paktika, targeting residential zones in Urgun and Barmal.
According to reports by local media, including Tolo News, the strikes occurred just as negotiators from both sides were preparing for renewed talks in Doha. Pakistan had previously requested an extension of the ceasefire to allow diplomatic discussions to continue, but the latest attack has raised questions about the sincerity of those efforts.
Pakistan has not released a formal statement addressing the deaths of the Afghan cricketers or the reported civilian casualties in the strike.
National Mourning and Public Outrage
The deaths of the young players have triggered a wave of mourning across Afghanistan, with tributes pouring in from fellow athletes, officials, and citizens. Many Afghans took to social media to demand accountability, using hashtags to call attention to what they described as “a war crime” against innocent civilians.
“The loss of these players is not just a sporting tragedy — it is a national wound,” said Ahmad Shah Dost, a local cricket coach in Paktika. “These young men dreamed of representing their country on the world stage. Instead, they became victims of a conflict they had nothing to do with.”
Funeral prayers were held in Urgun on Saturday, attended by hundreds of locals and regional officials. The players, who were part of regional teams, had been considered promising talents in Afghanistan’s cricketing pipeline.
A Fragile Peace in Jeopardy
The timing of the strike — on the eve of renewed peace negotiations — has complicated already fragile relations between Kabul and Islamabad. The Afghan Taliban administration has condemned the attack, calling it a violation of national sovereignty and a threat to regional stability.
Afghanistan has repeatedly accused Pakistan of cross-border aggression, while Pakistan claims its military operations target militant groups using Afghan territory to launch attacks. The ongoing blame game has severely hindered progress in peace efforts, despite intermittent diplomatic engagement.
As negotiations are set to resume in Doha, the latest events may harden Afghan positions and increase public pressure on leaders not to compromise in talks with Pakistan.
For now, Afghanistan’s absence from the cricket series stands as both a protest and a symbol of how conflict continues to spill over into all aspects of civilian life — including the country’s most cherished sport.
