The ACB named the three players as “Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon” and said that five other people were also killed in the attack.
At least three Afghanistani cricketers have been killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Paktika province. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said that the players had travelled from Urgun to Sharana in the eastern Paktika province on the Pakistan border to take part in a friendly match.
The ACB named the three players as “Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon” and said that five other people were also killed in the attack.
It said that “after returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering” in what it described as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime”. The ACB did not give any more details on the attack.
Following the attack, Afghanistan pulled out of a tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka next month. “as a gesture of respect to the victims”.
Statement of Condolence
The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses its deepest sorrow and grief over the tragic martyrdom of the brave cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted this evening in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.
In… pic.twitter.com/YkenImtuVR
— Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 17, 2025
“The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses its deepest sorrow and grief over the tragic martyrdom of the brave cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted this evening in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime.” ABC said in a post on X.
Cricketers Mourn Deaths
Afghanistan’s T-20 team captain, Rashid Khan, condemned the recent attacks and welcomed ABC’s decision to withdraw from the friendly series.
“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,” he said in a post on X.
Khan said it was absolutely immoral and barbaric to target civilian infrastructure, and such “unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed.”
“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.
Another international player, 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.”
“The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime,” wrote Afghan international cricketer Fazalhaq Farooqi on Facebook.
