At least three Afghan cricketers were among eight people killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed on Friday.
In a statement, the ACB identified the deceased players as “Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon”, adding that they had travelled from Urgun to Sharana, near the Pakistan border, to take part in a friendly cricket match.
According to the ACB, the players were “targeted during a gathering” after returning home to Urgun. The board condemned the strike, describing it as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.” No further details were immediately provided.
“The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses its deepest sorrow and grief over the tragic martyrdom of the brave cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted this evening in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime,” the ACB wrote in a post on X.
In response to the attack, Afghanistan withdrew from a scheduled tri-nation cricket series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, citing respect for the victims.
Afghanistan’s T-20 team captain, Rashid Khan, strongly condemned the airstrikes, calling them “immoral and barbaric.” He welcomed the ACB’s decision to pull out of the series.
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage,” Khan said on X.
I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage.
— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) October 17, 2025
It is absolutely immoral and…
He added that targeting civilian areas “represents a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed,” urging the international community to take note.
“In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision to withdraw from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. Our national dignity must come before all else,” he said.
Afghan international cricketer Mohammad Nabi said the incident was “a tragedy not only for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”
Fazalhaq Farooqi, another international player, called the killings “a heinous, unforgivable crime” in a Facebook post, condemning the “massacre of innocent civilians and domestic cricket players by these oppressors.”
Afghan media outlets reported that the Pakistani airstrikes targeted residential areas in the Urgun and Barmal districts of Paktika province, resulting in heavy civilian casualties.
The air raids reportedly violated a fragile ceasefire agreement between the two countries, which had been in place for just 48 hours following days of intense cross-border clashes.
Earlier, Pakistan had proposed extending the truce until the conclusion of peace talks in Doha aimed at de-escalating tensions and preventing further violence. Kabul reportedly agreed to the proposal, with negotiations expected to resume on Saturday.
The deadly strikes mark a significant escalation in hostilities between Pakistan and Afghanistan, which have traded accusations of harbouring militants and breaching border security in recent weeks.
Leave a comment