The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced the withdrawal of its national team from the upcoming tri-nation series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, following the shocking death of three domestic cricketers. According to the ACB, the players—identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon—were killed in an attack after returning home to Urgun in the eastern Paktika province, near the Pakistan border.
The players had travelled from Urgun to Sharana for a friendly match and were targeted “during a gathering” after returning. The ACB condemned the attack, describing it as a “cowardly act carried out by the Pakistani regime,” and confirmed that five other individuals also lost their lives in the same incident.
Nation In Mourning
The ACB expressed deep sorrow over the loss, calling it “a great tragedy for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family.” The board extended heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims and emphasised that the decision to pull out of the tri-series was made “as a gesture of respect to the victims.”
The loss of the young athletes has sparked grief across Afghanistan’s cricketing circles, with many national players voicing their pain and anger on social media. Afghan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi called the attack “a heinous, unforgivable crime,” condemning the killing of “innocent civilians and domestic cricketers.”
Cricketers Express Grief And Solidarity
Prominent Afghan cricketers, including Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz, shared emotional tributes for their fallen compatriots. Nabi described the incident as “a tragedy not only for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”
Gurbaz, the team’s wicketkeeper, offered prayers for the victims, calling them “martyrs of the nation,” and asked for divine justice against the “merciless enemies” responsible. The incident has shaken the country’s sports community, highlighting the ongoing security challenges faced by athletes even beyond the field. The withdrawal from the tri-series stands as both a mark of mourning and a symbolic protest against the violence that claimed the lives of Afghanistan’s promising young cricketers.
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