The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the International Cricket Council (ICC) have expressed solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) following the death of three local cricketers in a cross-border attack, allegedly by Pakistan, in the Urgun district of the country.
In a statement released on Saturday evening, secretary Devajit Saikia expressed the BCCI’s “deep sorrow and condolences on the tragic loss of three young Afghan cricketers — Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon — who lost their lives in the cowardly cross-border airstrikes in Paktika province.”
The ACB has withdrawn its national team from next month’s tri-series in Pakistan, claiming that several lives had been lost in the attack, including three local cricketers who were returning home after a “friendly” match in Sharana, the capital of Paktika province.
“The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family,” the statement said.
The BCCI said that it stood “in solidarity with the ACB, the cricket fraternity, and the families of the departed players during this moment of profound grief and condemns this ghastly and unwarranted attack.”
The ACB said its decision to pull out of the Pakistan series was a gesture of respect to the victims.
The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) insisted that the tri-series will go ahead and it was in talks with other boards for a replacement.
The latest incident is another blot on the PCB after Indian players refused to shake hands with their Pakistan counterparts during the recent Asia Cup in Dubai. The Suryakumar Yadav-led team emerged champions but didn’t take the trophy from Mohsin Naqvi, the PCB chair, who also heads the Asian Cricket Council.
Afghan spinner Rashid Khan condemned the incident, saying he was “deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on Afghanistan”, thereby halting the ceasefire between the two nations.
“It is absolutely immoral and barbaric to target civilian infrastructure. These unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed,” Rashid said on X.
“In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision
of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at
this difficult time — our national dignity must come before all else.”
He also removed Pakistan Super League franchise Lahore Qalandars’ name from his bio on X.