Afghanistan has announced its withdrawal from an upcoming cricket series following the deaths of three players in an airstrike. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) stated that it would not participate in the tri-nation T20 series scheduled for November, citing respect for the deceased players, who were reportedly targeted in an airstrike attributed to the Pakistani regime. These players, Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, were not part of the national team and were killed while dining after a local tournament match in the Urgon district of Paktika province. Witnesses and local officials confirmed the occurrence of the strike, which resulted in a total of eight fatalities.
The Pakistan government claimed that the strike aimed at militants and denied any allegations of targeting civilians. In response to the incident, the International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed its sadness over the loss of the players and condemned the violence, which also reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.
This airstrike took place shortly after a temporary truce between Afghanistan and Pakistan was set to expire. Tensions had escalated along the border, with both nations experiencing violence. Pakistan claimed to have killed at least 70 Afghan militants in the attack, while Pakistani officials rejected claims from Afghanistan that civilians were the primary focus of the airstrike. On social media, Afghan national cricket team captain Rashid Khan and other players expressed their condolences for the lost young cricketers, emphasizing their potential future contributions to the national team.
The Taliban government has indicated its willingness to negotiate peace talks with Pakistan, despite ongoing tensions. Meanwhile, Zimbabwe will replace Afghanistan in the upcoming T20 series.
Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c20pnz01x0eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss