Three Afghan cricketers were among eight people killed in a Pakistani airstrike on a gathering in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on Friday. In response to the strike, the ACB announced its withdrawal from next month’s tri-nation T20I series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
According to the board, the cricketers — Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — had travelled from Urgun to Sharana to participate in a friendly cricket match. Upon returning home, they were killed in what the ACB described as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.”
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In an official statement, the ACB expressed “deep sorrow and grief” over the deaths, calling the attack a “great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community.” The board also confirmed that seven others were injured in the strike.
“As a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming tri-nation series involving Pakistan,” the statement read. The ACB concluded with prayers for the deceased and condolences to the families.
Pakistan-Afghanistan Border Tensions
According to AFP, Pakistan launched airstrikes inside Afghan territory late Friday, breaking a 48-hour truce that had briefly paused a week of intense border clashes. Afghan officials said the strikes killed at least 10 people, including civilians.
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Pakistan claimed the strikes were “precision operations” targeting the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, a faction linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), following a deadly attack on a military camp in North Waziristan that killed seven paramilitary soldiers.
The incident marks one of the deadliest escalations between the two neighbours since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, with both sides accusing each other of harbouring militants and violating sovereignty.
