Afghanistan will no longer take part in an upcoming cricket series after three players in a local tournament were killed in an air strike, the nation's cricketing body says.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) stated it would withdraw from November's tri-nation T20 series out of respect for the deceased, identified as Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who were reportedly targeted by an attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.
The strike occurred in Urgon district, Paktika province, where the players were having dinner after a match. Witnesses reported that eight people in total lost their lives due to this attack, while Pakistan has denied targeting civilians, asserting that the strike was aimed at militants.
The ACB expressed that these deaths represent a significant loss for Afghanistan's sports community, receiving support from the International Cricket Council (ICC), which condemned the violence. On the day of the attack, violence surged as claims were made that dozens of militants had been killed in retaliatory strikes.
In response to the tragic events, Afghan sports figures expressed their condolences, including captain Rashid Khan who highlighted the aspirations of these young cricketers to represent their nation on the world stage. Large funeral gatherings were held as the community mourned the loss.
This incident occurred amid a fragile truce set to expire following clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, indicating the ongoing volatility in the region. As Zimbabwe steps in to replace Afghanistan in the T20 series, calls for peace and diplomacy continue to resonate among leaders and citizens.
