In a tragic and deeply painful event, three Afghan cricketers lost their lives following a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed.
The players — Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — had travelled from Urgun to Sharana, near the Pakistan border, to play in a friendly cricket match. According to the ACB, the players, along with five other civilians, were killed when a gathering was struck upon their return home.
“In this heartbreaking incident, three players (Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon), alongside five other fellow countrymen from Urgun District, were martyred, and seven others were injured. The players had earlier travelled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket match. After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering,” the ACB said in a statement.
The board described the strike as a devastating blow to Afghanistan’s sporting and cricketing community, expressing profound grief and solidarity with the families and the people of Paktika.
“The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family. The ACB also extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families of the martyrs and to the people of Paktika Province,” it added.
As a mark of respect and protest, the ACB announced the withdrawal of Afghanistan’s team from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan, originally scheduled for late November.
“In response to this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan,” the statement said.
Afghanistan’s T20 captain Rashid Khan voiced his condemnation and sorrow over the attack, calling it “immoral and barbaric.”
“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 wrote on X.
He further stated, “Such unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed. I welcome the ACB’s decision of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. Our national dignity must come before all else.”
Reports indicate Pakistan launched multiple airstrikes in Paktika on Friday, an act that Afghan authorities condemned as a violation of the fragile ceasefire between the two nations.
This heartbreaking loss extends far beyond the boundaries of the cricket field. It is a reminder that behind every jersey is a human being — a dreamer, a son, a teammate, and a symbol of hope for a nation that continues to endure unimaginable pain. The deaths of Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon are not just the loss of players, but of promise, unity, and the spirit of a game that once brought smiles where sorrow lived too long.
