The Kabul Tribune (KT) — The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) announced Friday that it is withdrawing from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka, citing airstrikes in Paktika province that it said killed three local cricket players.
In a statement, the ACB said the decision came after what it
described as “Pakistani airstrikes” in Paktika’s Urgon district, which targeted
local cricket players.
“In this heartbreaking incident, three players — Kabeer,
Sibghatullah, and Haroon — alongside five other fellow countrymen from Urgon
District were martyred, and seven others were injured,” the ACB said.
According to the statement, the players had traveled to
Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket
match before being killed in the strike.
The airstrikes reportedly hit Urgon and Barmal districts of
Paktika on Friday evening. Sources told The Kabul Tribune that 12 people were
killed and another 12 were wounded in the attacks.
The ACB said it made the decision to withdraw “in solidarity
with the families of the victims” and as a protest against what it described as
“an unjustified act of aggression.”
The Tri-Nation T20I Series, which was set to feature
Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan, had been scheduled for late November.
There has been no immediate response from Pakistan regarding
the ACB’s allegations. Tensions between the two neighbors have escalated in
recent days following border clashes and reports of cross-border airstrikes.
