Afghanistan has been pulled out of the Twenty20 international in Pakistan after three local cricketers were killed in what the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said was due to military attacks in Paktika province.
Afghanistan, Pakistan and Sri Lanka were scheduled to meet in the tournament, which is scheduled to be held between November 17 and 29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore.
ACB said in a statement that the three players traveled to Sharana, capital of Paktika province, for a friendly match and later died during the strikes after returning home in Oregon district.
Mourning the death of the players and several others, the ACB said, “ACB considers this a great loss to the Afghan sports community, its athletes and the cricketing family.”
“In response to this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the ACB has decided to withdraw from the upcoming T20I series involving Pakistan, scheduled to be played in November.”
The International Cricket Council (ICC) condemned the attack and said it was in solidarity with the ACB and echoed their grief.
“The ICC is deeply saddened and saddened by the tragic deaths of three young and promising Afghan cricketers, Kabir Agha, Sibghatullah and Haroon, who lost their lives in a recent airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province,” the World Cricket Organization said in a statement.
The International Criminal Court strongly condemns this act of violence that robbed families, communities and the world of cricket of three brilliant talents.
Pakistan and Afghanistan on Friday extended a 48-hour ceasefire amid peace talks in Doha as they seek to resolve clashes that have killed dozens in the worst violence between the countries since the Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, sources said.
Fierce fighting between the former allies and Pakistani airstrikes across their disputed 2,600-kilometer border erupted after Islamabad demanded control of militants from Kabul who stepped up attacks in Pakistan, saying they were operating from sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
Pakistan and India, who also have strained political relations, have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2012 and have met only in multinational tournaments since then.
The BCCI stands in solidarity with the ACB, the Cricket Association and the families of the deceased players in this moment of deep grief and condemns this horrific and unjustifiable attack, the Indian Cricket Board said in a statement.
“The loss of innocent lives, especially the lives of promising athletes, is deeply saddening and a cause for concern. BCCI expresses its heartfelt sympathy with the people of Afghanistan and shares their pain and loss.”
Reuters
