Pakistan Airstrikes Kill Three Afghan Cricketers; ACB Withdraws From Tri-Series
New Delhi : The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced its decision to withdraw from the upcoming tri-nation T20 series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, following the deaths of three Afghan domestic cricketers in airstrikes allegedly carried out by Pakistan’s military regime in Paktika province.
Afghanistan had been scheduled to participate in the tri-series, also featuring Sri Lanka, in Lahore and Rawalpindi from November 5 to 29. Afghanistan cricket team captain Rashid Khan issued a strongly worded statement condemning the barbaric airstrikes and said he supported Afghanistan’s decision to withdraw from the tri-series. Tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been escalating since October 11, when fierce border clashes broke out after Afghan forces reportedly attacked several Pakistani military posts.
The Taliban condemned the strikes as a violation of the truce, while delegations from both countries were in Doha for talks aimed at easing the crisis. The players had earlier traveled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket match. After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering. In response of this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan, scheduled to be played in late November.
Rashid Khan, who has been the face of Afghanistan cricket’s rise, claimed lives of children and aspiring cricketers were lost in the air strikes. 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 who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage, he said.
In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time, our national dignity must come before all else. The tri-series would have marked Afghanistan’s second visit to Pakistan this year, following the Champions Trophy, which was hosted under a hybrid model. Afghanistan’s withdrawal from the series is seen as a setback for Pakistan’s efforts to revive and sustain international cricket at home. India, Asia’s cricketing powerhouse, have already been boycotting bilateral series with Pakistan, facing them only in multi-nation tournaments since 2012–13.