Pakistan Airstrike in Afghanistan Kills Three Cricketers, ACB Withdraws from Upcoming Series
Kabul, 18 October, A shocking Pakistan airstrike in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika fiefdom has left the nation reeling.
Among the victims were three youthful Afghan cricketers, Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, whose dreams of representing their country ended in tragedy.
According to the Afghanistan Cricket Board( ACB), the players had traveled from Urgun to Sharana, close to the Pakistan border, to play in a friendly original match. Moments after their return, a deadly strike hit their gathering.
“In this heartbreaking incident, three players (Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon), alongside five other fellow countrymen from Urgun District, were martyred, and seven others were injured.
The players had earlier traveled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket match.
After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering,” the ACB confirmed in its statement.
Oct 17, 2025: Pakistan’s airstrike hit a cricket match in Afghanistan’s Paktika, killing 10 players & spectators. Injuries rising. ACB withdraws from T20I series in protest. Afghan officials slam it as ceasefire breach & war crime on civilians. #Afghanistan #Pakistan@Interpol pic.twitter.com/7Zu6YF8o0V
— TORYALai (@0mR54) October 18, 2025
The Board called the attack a devastating blow to Afghanistan’s sporting community, mourning the loss of its emerging talent.
“The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family.
The ACB also extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families of the martyrs and to the people of Paktika Province.”
it added.
In a move that underscores the graveness of the incident, the ACB blazoned its pullout from the forthcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series which was to feature Pakistan and another sharing nation later this November.
“In response to this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan,” the statement continued.
Afghanistan’s T20 captain, Rashid Khan, voiced his outrage in a heartfelt post on X (formerly Twitter).
“I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan, a tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage,” Khan wrote, calling the attacks “immoral and barbaric.”
I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan. A tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage.
It is absolutely immoral and…
— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) October 17, 2025
He went on to label the strikes a violation of human rights, praising the ACB’s stance in pulling out of the series.
“In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision to withdraw from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time. Our national dignity must come before all else,”
he added.
The Pakistan airstrike, reportedly conducted across the eastern Afghan border, has reignited pressures between Islamabad and Kabul.
Afghan officers have accused Pakistan of violating a fragile ceasefire agreement, describing the incident as an unprovoked act of aggression.
Locals in Paktika describe scenes of destruction and grief. Families are mourning. Cricketers are shaken. The nation’s sporting spirit, once a rare source of concinnity amid fermentation, has been dealt a cruel blow.
The transnational justice community has yet to issue a sanctioned response, but pressure is mounting on Pakistan to address the mercenary casualties.
