Afghanistan’s cricket community has erupted in anger after three local players were killed in a recent Pakistani airstrike, with national captain Rashid Khan and teammates Fazalhaq Farooqi, Mohammad Nabi and Rahmanullah Gurbaz issuing sharp condemnations. 

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said the three—identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon—were from Urgun in the southeastern province of Paktika. 

They had travelled to the provincial capital, Sharana, for a friendly match and were killed after returning home, when the strike hit a civilian gathering in Urgun district. 

In response, the ACB announced it was withdrawing from next month’s Twenty20 tri-series in Pakistan featuring Sri Lanka, which had been scheduled in Rawalpindi and Lahore from November 17–29. 

Rashid Khan wrote on X that he was “deeply saddened” by the loss of civilian lives, calling the strike “absolutely immoral and barbaric,” a “grave violation of human rights,” and voicing support for the ACB’s decision, saying national dignity comes first. 

Fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi denounced the “heinous, unforgivable crime” against civilians and domestic cricketers, while former captain Mohammad Nabi said it was a day of mourning for the entire Afghan cricket family. Gurbaz also posted condolences and prayers for the victims. 

The ACB statement and players’ posts followed reports of Pakistani strikes in Paktika amid heightened cross-border tensions. The board said its decision to pull out of the series was taken as a gesture of respect to the victims. 

SMS/