Afghanistan Cricket Board Mourns 3 Players Killed, Pulls Out Of Tournament

Afghanistan Cricket Board Mourns 3 Players Killed, Pulls Out Of Tournament With Pakistan

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) mourns the tragic loss of three cricketers killed in Pakistan airstrikes in Paktika province, leading to their withdrawal from the upcoming T20I Tri-Nation Series.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) Saturday declared its withdrawal from the forthcoming Tri-Nation T20I series with Pakistan due to the unfortunate deaths of three Afghan cricketers during a recent Pakistani airstrike.

The board conveyed "profound sorrow and grief" over the death of the players, who were part of eight fatalities in the attack in the Paktika province.

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In a statement that is up on X, the ACB verified that cricketers Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon were murdered along with five other nationals at a local party in Urgun district.

Seven others were injured in the assault, according to reports.

The board referred to the assault, which was allegedly conducted by the Pakistani regime, as "cowardly."

The ACB said the players had just returned home in Urgun from a trip to the provincial capital, Sharana, to play a friendly cricket match. The board referred to the loss as "a great loss for Afghanistan's sporting community. and the cricketing fraternity."

As a reaction to the massacres and "as a gesture of respect to the victims," the ACB said it would not be playing in the late November Tri-Nation T20I Series, which was to include Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The killer raids, said to have hit homes in the Urgun and Barmal districts of Paktika province, took place on Friday in a violation of a recent ceasefire deal between the two neighbors.

The raids were made in the wake of a shaky truce after intensified cross-border fighting in days past. The 48-hour ceasefire, which started Wednesday at 6 pm, was just recently extended at Pakistan's behest until the end of current talks in Doha to de-escalate tensions.

The Afghan Taliban regime's spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid had also affirmed orders were issued to Afghan troops to abide by the cease-fire "unless any aggression occurs." The Pakistani Foreign Office had also hoped that both parties would "make genuine efforts to seek a positive outcome" during the cease-fire.

ALSO READ | Pakistan Breaks Ceasefire With Fresh Airstrikes On Afghanistan's Paktika Province

Source: ZeeNews
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