Afghanistan has withdrawn from an international cricket series after three participants in a domestic tournament lost their lives in an air strike, according to the country’s cricket governing body.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced it would pull out of the tri-nation T20 series scheduled for November as a mark of respect for the deceased, whom it said were killed in an “attack carried out by the Pakistani regime” on Friday. The three victims were not members of the national squad.
According to witnesses and local authorities who spoke to the BBC, the strike occurred in Urgon district, Paktika province, hitting a residence where the players were having dinner following a match.
The ACB reported that eight people died in the incident. Pakistani officials, however, stated the strike targeted militants and rejected accusations of civilian casualties.
The three players killed were identified by the ACB as Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah and Haroon. The board described their deaths as “a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family”.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed being “deeply saddened and appalled” by the “tragic deaths of three young and promising Afghan cricketers” in a strike that also “claimed the lives of several civilians”.
“The ICC stands in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and echoes their grief,” the organization stated, adding that it “strongly condemns this act of violence”.
Border Tensions and Peace Efforts
The incident occurred shortly after a temporary ceasefire between the two nations was set to end, following several days of deadly border confrontations that have resulted in dozens of casualties.
Pakistani authorities claimed the air strike targeted Afghan militants, with at least 70 combatants reportedly killed.
Pakistan’s Information Minister Attaullah Tarar dismissed allegations that civilians were targeted as “false and meant to generate support for terrorist groups operating from inside Afghanistan”.
Afghan national team captain Rashid Khan honored the “aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage” in a social media tribute.
Other national team members also paid their respects, including Fazalhaq Farooqi, who characterized the attack as a “heinous, unforgivable crime”.
Large crowds attended the victims’ funeral on Saturday.
The strike followed reports from Pakistani officials that seven soldiers were killed in a suicide attack near the Afghan border on Friday.
The 48-hour ceasefire that began Wednesday at 13:00 GMT has reportedly been extended to facilitate negotiations.
An Afghan delegation traveled to Doha, Qatar on Saturday for peace discussions with Pakistani representatives.
The Taliban government confirmed its participation in the talks despite what it termed “Pakistani aggression”, which it claims was an attempt by Islamabad to extend the conflict.
Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai urged Pakistan to “reconsider its policies, and pursue friendly and civilised relations” with Afghanistan.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office announced Saturday that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif would head the country’s negotiating team in Doha.
The talks are expected to address cross-border terrorism and efforts to restore peace and stability along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Zimbabwe will step in to replace Afghanistan in the T20 series.
