Top Afghanistan players, including captain Rashid Khan, condemned the Pakistani aerial strikes that killed three local cricketers on Saturday. Rashid also backed the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) decision to pull out of the upcoming T20I tri-series, involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The series was arranged by the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) last month, with the matches scheduled to be played between November 17-29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore. ACB named the three cricketers as Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon.
The trio had travelled from Urgun to Sharana in the eastern Paktika province, near the Pakistan border, to take part in a friendly match.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Rashid described the incident as “tragic” and called the targeting of civilian infrastructure “absolutely 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,” Rashid posted on X.
“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 also welcomed the ACB’s decision to withdraw from the tri-nation series against Pakistan and Sri Lanka, adding that “national dignity” must come first before everything.
“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 added.
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
“The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime,” wrote Afghan pacer Fazalhaq Farooqi on Facebook.
Former Afghanistan captain Mohammad Nabi, added: “This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”
“We received the news with great sorrow that in the Arghun district of Paktika province, a number of our country’s players were martyred by merciless enemies of our nation. I ask the Great Lord to grant them Jannat-ul-Firdous (the highest paradise). And may the Almighty Lord disgrace the eternal enemies of our country. Amen, O Lord of the Worlds. The post is a message of condolence and a prayer for the victims who were reportedly players from the country, killed in an incident in the Arghun district of Paktika province,” wicketkeeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz also wrote in a detailed post.