Afghanistan have withdrawn from next month’s tri-nation cricket series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka following the killing of three Afghan cricketers in an attack, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced on Friday.
According to the ACB, the players had travelled from Urgun to Sharana in Paktika province, near the Pakistan border, to take part in a friendly match. “After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering,” the board said, describing it as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.”
The ACB identified the victims as “Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon,” adding that five other people also lost their lives in the assault. While the board did not provide further details, it said the incident was “a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” extending “deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families.”
As a mark of respect, the ACB said it had decided to pull out of the upcoming tri-series.
Afghan international cricketer Fazalhaq Farooqi wrote on Facebook, “The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime.”
Another national player, Mohammad Nabi, said, “This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”
Wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz also expressed grief, writing, “We received the news with great sorrow that in the Arghun district of Paktika province, a number of our country’s players were martyred by merciless enemies of our nation. I ask the Great Lord to grant them Jannat-ul-Firdous (the highest paradise). And may the Almighty Lord disgrace the eternal enemies of our country. Amen, O Lord of the Worlds.”
