Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) spokesperson Sayed Naseem Sadaat, on Tuesday, said they have clear evidence, including video footage, that Pakistan was responsible for the attack that killed three local cricketers in the Urgun district of Afghanistan. Following the incident last week, ACB had withdrawn the national team from next month's Tri-Nation T20I Series in Pakistan.
Sadaat's statement came just days after Pakistan’s government released a statement disputing reports that “cricketers” had been killed in an “airstrike.”
"We got evidence all the cricket fraternity and all the people around the world would have definitely watched our video report on the incident that was made by our media team. So, we got clear evidence that the attack was done by a Pakistani state," Sadaat told ANI. "After the incident, the management of the Afghanistan Cricket Board decided to cancel Afghanistan's participation in the tri-series that was going to be hosted by Pakistan.
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Earlier on Friday, in a spot on X, ACB stated that the attack claimed several lives, including three local cricketers, identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who were on their way home after playing 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," it said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}Earlier on Friday, in a spot on X, ACB stated that the attack claimed several lives, including three local cricketers, identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who were on their way home after playing 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," it said in a statement.
{{/usCountry}}Sadaat not only strongly condemned Pakistan's airstrike, but also requested all other cricket boards to denounce the attack. He stressed that cricket is a symbol of peace and should remain untouched by war, urging that both the players and the sport be safeguarded from conflict.
He said, "We call upon all the cricket boards to condemn such barbaric attacks because cricket is a game that carries the message of peace. Cricketers are peace ambassadors and they should be stayed away from the war. War should not be interfered in sports. So we call upon all the cricket fraternity and boards to condemn such attacks and keep cricket away from war."
In the aftermath of the incident, both the ICC and BCCI expressed their solidarity with the ACB.
Following Afghanistan's withdrawal from the tri-series, Zimbabwe accepted their invitation to participate as the third team in the contest, alongside Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The series will start on November 17, with the home team facing Zimbabwe in Rawalpindi, which will also host the second game, between Sri Lanka and Zimbabwe. The action will then shift to Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, which will stage the remaining five matches, including the final on November 29.