At least three Afghan cricketers were killed by a Pakistani airstrike in the Paktika province, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Sunday. The players—Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon—had flown from Urgun to Sharana, the province capital, to play a friendly match before heading home. The ACB said five civilians also died and seven others were injured when the strike hit a gathering after the players returned.
The board called the attack a “devastating blow” to Afghan sport and expressed deep sorrow for the families and the people of Paktika. “We lose not only athletes but also our community,” the ACB said. In a sign of respect, it will pull out of the upcoming Tri‑Nation T20I Series with Pakistan, scheduled for late November.
Afghanistan’s T20 captain, Rashid Khan, condemned the airstrikes on social media. On X, he said he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of lives, calling the attacks “immoral and barbaric.” Khan added that the ACB’s decision to withdraw from fixtures against Pakistan was a fitting response and urged the world to pay attention to the rights violations.
Pakistan launched several airstrikes in Paktika on Friday, sparking accusations from Kabul that Islamabad had violated the fragile ceasefire between the two countries. The incident has once again highlighted the tensions that border the two nations and the risks they pose to civilians and sportspeople alike.
Source: ianslive
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