Three young Afghan cricketers were among eight civilians killed in a Pakistan-led airstrike on Saturday. The deceased players have been identified as Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah and Haroon.The Afghanistan Cricket Board responded by withdrawing from an upcoming tri-national series which was to include Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The series was scheduled to take place in Pakistan from November 17 to 29.The incident occurred within 48 hours of the conclusion of a ceasefire agreement between Afghanistan and Pakistan. This development could further strain relations between these two members of the Asian Cricket Council, following recent tensions between India and Pakistan during the men’s Asian Cup.Kabeer Agha was an aggressive top-order hitter who was on the verge of being selected for the provincial under-23 camp. He had played for regional clubs in national competitions and participated in youth tournaments organized by the Afghanistan Cricket Board South Committee.Sibghatullah, a medium pace bowler from the Paktika region, has played for the Urgun Warriors in local ACB-sanctioned tournaments. He had shown leadership potential after being discovered during the previous year’s Paktika Premier League.Haroon was an emerging all-rounder on the domestic cricket scene in Afghanistan. He combined his cricket career with academics, orthodox off-spin bowling and right-handed batting. He had played regularly in local T20 and tape-ball tournaments.The incident sparked strong reactions from Afghan international actors. Team captain Rashid Khan called the attack barbaric, while other prominent players shared their responses on social media.“This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire family of Afghan cricket and the nation as a whole,” said Mohammed Nabi, former captain and well-known figure in Afghan cricket.“We are deeply saddened by the cowardly military attack in Argun, Paktika, which killed innocent civilians and cricketers. This brutal act of the Pakistan Army is an attack on our people, our pride and our independence, but it will never break the Afghan spirit,” wrote Gulbadan Naib.“The massacre of innocent civilians and our national cricketers by these oppressors is a heinous and unforgivable crime. May Allah Almighty grant the martyrs the highest place in Paradise, humiliate the perpetrators and submit them to His wrath. The killing of players and civilians is not an honor, it is the deepest shame,” said pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi.
