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Yuvraj Singh expresses grief, honours Afghan cricketers who died in Pakistan air strike
Yuvraj Singh condemned the killing of three Afghan cricketers in an alleged air strike by Pakistan.
India’s World Cup 2011 hero, Yuvraj Singh, has led tributes after three Afghan cricketers were killed in an alleged Pakistan airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province on Friday. The players - Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah Zirok, and Harron had returned to Urgun after a friendly match in Sharana when the strike hit, part of a barrage that killed at least 10 people, according to official and multiple reports.
Yuvraj Singh posted his message on X on Saturday, with his words quickly amplified by Indian and Afghan fans as the sport grappled with yet another tragedy beyond the boundary.
Yuvraj's message of condolence
The Afghanistan Cricket Board called the attack a cowardly act, naming three local cricketers and announcing that Afghanistan would withdraw from next month’s T20 tri-series in Pakistan, originally slated for Nov 17-29 in Rawalpindi and Lahore. The ICC expressed sorrow at the loss of young and promising athletes. Zimbabwe is set to replace Afghanistan in the series.
Indian cricket authorities also issued statements of support. The BCCI publicly condemned the violence and extended condolences to the families and the Afghan cricket fraternity, aligning with the ICC’s stance and the ACB’s grief.
How the cricket world reacted
Afghanistan captain Rashid Khan described the strike as immoral and barbaric, while senior players, including Mohammad Nabi, echoed the outrage on social media. Multiple reports detailed the sequence of events around the strike and the sport’s response, including the ACB’s pullout and tributes planned by the Afghan team ahead of their fixtures elsewhere.
Yuvraj Singh's statement adds a powerful Indian voice to the chorus calling for restraint and empathy at a time when Afghanistan-Pakistan tensions have spilled over into cricket. This will disrupt scheduled events and force governing bodies into tough calls. With fans in both countries deeply invested in the sport, his call for peace and unity resonated beyond the India-Afghanistan cricketing relationship, underlining that the human cost remains the sport’s gravest concern.
