Afghanistan pulls out of cricket series after it says Pakistan air strike killed local players

Afghan Cricket Board Calls Off T20 Series After Air Strike Kills Local Players, Pakistan Blamed.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has announced that the country will be withdrawing from an upcoming cricket series due to the killing of three local players in a recent air strike it blames on Pakistan. The decision comes after reports emerged that the three players - identified as Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah and Haroon - died in the strike.

According to eyewitnesses and officials, the players were having dinner at their home in Urgon district of Paktika province when the air strike hit their residence. Eight people lost their lives in the attack, according to the ACB.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board has paid tribute to the three players who lost their lives, describing them as "aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage."

In a statement, the International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed its "deep sadness and appalled by the tragic deaths of three young and promising Afghan cricketers" in an air strike that also claimed the lives of several civilians. The ICC has pledged to stand in solidarity with the ACB.

Pakistan has denied targeting civilians, claiming that it had targeted militants in the air strike. However, the Afghan Cricket Board and other officials have rejected this claim, saying that there were no militant targets in the area where the players lived.

The Afghanistan national team will now be replaced by Zimbabwe for the upcoming T20 series.

Rashid Khan, the captain of the Afghan national side, has paid tribute to his fallen teammates, describing the attack as a "heinous and unforgivable crime."

As tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan continue to simmer, former President Hamid Karzai called on Pakistan to reconsider its policies towards Afghanistan.

man this is really upsetting... those poor kids were just trying to enjoy some dinner at home it's just horrific that they got caught in the crossfire like that... I don't know what's going on between Afghanistan and Pakistan but it feels like we're getting stuck with the worst of it sometimes I wish world leaders could just take a step back and think about how their actions affect regular people it's not like cricket is even that important to these kids... they were just trying to live their lives

my heart just went out for these young cricketers who got caught in the wrong place at the wrong time . it's a tragedy that needs to be prevented from happening again. we gotta stand with afghanistan and their cricket board on this one, no way should they have to put their lives on hold like this because of some conflict between countries . i hope pakistan takes responsibility for what happened and makes amends . and meanwhile, let's not forget these young cricketers who had big dreams and aspirations . may they rest in peace .

Wow , that's so sad . Can't believe that innocent people were killed in an air strike. It's just terrible . Cricket is supposed to be a sport of friendship and respect, but it seems like war is taking over the pitch ️. Zimbabwe stepping in for Afghanistan is a big deal, hope they can bring some much-needed calm to the situation . And what about those civilians who got caught in the crossfire? . It's time for Pakistan to take responsibility and apologize for their actions .

omg this is so heartbreaking 3 young lives lost in an air strike the stats are staggering - 8 people killed, 3 cricketers among them and now afghanistan's gonna pull out of the t20 series that's 50k+ viewership lost already lets see if they can get the pakistani government to take responsibility for this meanwhile, zimbabwe's gotta step up as a replacement did u know that cricket is now the second most popular sport in afghanistan? the ICC is doing its part by paying tribute and standing in solidarity but its not enough we need more

I'm still in shock after hearing about those innocent players being killed in that air strike . It's just not right that they were having dinner at home when suddenly their lives got cut short. I mean, what can you even say? The Afghan Cricket Board is right to pull out of the series, it's a huge blow for cricket in Afghanistan and the players' families deserve so much more than this senseless tragedy .

And honestly, Pakistan blaming this on militants just feels like a weak excuse . I'm all for accountability, but not when innocent civilians get caught in the crossfire. The ICC is right to stand with the ACB and condemn this attack.

It's also really sad that Rashid Khan has to live with the loss of his teammates - those guys were just starting out on their cricket journey . We should all be calling for more peace and less violence between countries, especially when it affects young lives like this .

ugh this is so sad I mean can u blame afghanistan for wanting 2 pull out of the cricket series? three people die in an air strike & now they're saying it was just a "heinous and unforgivable crime"?! It's not that hard to believe! Pakistan claims they were targeting militants but afghanistan's all like "nope, u r lying" . I feel 4 the victims & their families, they deserved better . Zimbabwe should've been replaced by someone else 2 be honest. this whole thing is just a mess #JusticeForAfghanCricketers #CricketIsNotWorthLives #PakistanShouldOwnUpToItsActions

That's just heartbreaking . The thought of innocent people like Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah & Haroon being killed in an air strike is just devastating #JusticeForTheFallenCricketPlayers #PeaceNotWar #AfghanistanDeservesBetter.

I'm really sad to hear that the Afghanistan national team has been replaced by Zimbabwe for the T20 series. The cricket community should be supporting each other, not each other's enemies . It's just not right when civilians get caught in the crossfire #NotInOurName #CricketUnitesUs.

Pakistan saying they targeted militants is just not believable . We need to find out what really happened and hold those responsible accountable #TruthRevealed #AccountabilityMatters.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board's decision to pull out of the series is understandable, though . It's a tough time for the country, but we should be standing with them in solidarity #AfghanistanDeservesSolidarity #CricketForPeace.

it's just so sickening that innocent ppl got killed in this air strike... cricket is supposed to be about fun & sportsmanship not bloodshed ... the whole thing with pakistan blaming afghanistan for their own mistakes is just ridiculous ... can't believe they're trying to cover up their own dirty hands ... all i want to know is who was responsible for this heinous act and why are they still allowed to play cricket?

this is just so messed up how can anyone just keep killing innocent ppl in an air strike? it's like they think no one even has a life or family anymore those 3 players were supposed to live their dream of playing cricket for their country and now they're gone and the fact that they were having dinner at home when this happened is just... wow the whole thing is just so senseless & cruel i don't even know how pakistan can sleep at night knowing this happened under their watch can we please just focus on finding a way to end all these bloody conflicts already? it's getting old seeing the same cycle of violence over and over again

just thinking about those 3 young cricketers getting killed in an air strike is so heartbreaking... they were like, aspiring to play for their country one day & now they're gone . it's crazy how these things happen & nobody seems to be held accountable . i mean, Pakistan says they didn't target civilians but the Afghan Cricket Board knows better, right? . and now Zimbabwe is gonna take their place in the T20 series... it's just not fair ️. we need to think of a way to prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening again .

Ugh, this is so ridiculous... Can't they just focus on cricket for once? I mean, what's the point of even having a series if you're gonna pull out because some air strike kills a few players? It's like, come on, guys... get a grip! And Pakistan blaming it all on them? That's just lame. The ICC is getting in on this too? What's next, is the world cricket league gonna be canceled because of some drama between rival teams? I swear, sometimes I think these athletes are more worried about politics than their own sport... Anyway, Zimbabwe's gonna fill in for Afghanistan and all that jazz... good luck with that, I guess