The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have issued statements condemning the tragic incident in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, where three young cricketers lost their lives. The Afghanistan Cricket Board had previously confirmed that three cricketers from Urgun district in Paktika province were targeted by the Pakistani regime. The three players, Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, along with five others, were martyred, and seven more were injured while returning home after a friendly cricket match.
Following this unfortunate event, the Afghanistan board announced their decision to withdraw from the upcoming tri-series involving Pakistan. Despite this, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) has decided to proceed with the scheduled tri-series from November 17 to November 29, despite Afghanistan’s withdrawal.
Both the BCCI and the ICC have expressed their solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and condemned the attack. The Afghanistan team paid tribute to the victims of the attack before their Test match against Zimbabwe in Harare. Additionally, Afghanistan’s T20I captain, Rashid Khan, criticized Pakistan for the actions that led to the loss of innocent lives.
In a statement, the BCCI extended its condolences for the loss of the three Afghan cricketers and denounced the cowardly cross-border airstrikes. Similarly, the ICC expressed deep sadness and condemnation for the deaths of the promising Afghan cricketers and stood in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board.
Former BCCI secretary and current ICC chairman, Jay Shah, also denounced the tragic attack, expressing his sorrow for the young Afghan cricketers whose lives were cut short by violence. He emphasized the loss of talent not only for Afghanistan but for the entire cricketing community, showing support for the Afghanistan Cricket Board and all those affected by the heartbreaking incident.