Paktika [Afghanistan], October 21 (ANI): Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) Chairman Mirwais Ashraf and several international players visited Paktika Province on Monday to meet the families of those deceased in the airstrikes by Pakistan and offered prayers for three young cricketers, visiting where they were laid to rest.

The attacks in Paktika Province have been widely condemned by the cricket fraternity, including prominent Afghan cricketers like Rashid Khan. The ACB has also withdrawn from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka in protest, with Zimbabwe now being the third team in the series, which will be held in Pakistan. After the attack, the ACB confirmed that the local, up-and-coming players, identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, were among eight people killed in the airstrike. Seven others were reportedly injured.

The three players had earlier travelled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket match. After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering. In its statement, the Afghanistan board described the attack as 'a cowardly act carried out by the Pakistani regime.'

Taking to their X handle, the governing body for Afghanistan cricket posted, 'ACB Chairman and National Players Offered Prayers for the Victims of the Paktika Tragedy. ACB Chairman Mr. @MirwaisAshraf16, along with several national players including @RahmatShah_08, Zahir Khan, Fareed Malik, and Shabir Noori, as well as several ACB officials, visited Paktika Province yesterday to meet with the families of those martyred in the recent Pakistani airstrikes. During the visit, Mr. Ashraf and the delegation expressed their heartfelt condolences and solidarity with the bereaved families and offered prayers for the swift recovery of the injured.'

'Mr. Mirwais Ashraf stated: 'Our young players' dreams were shattered. They had great hopes and ambitions for a prosperous Afghanistan, but the enemies of humanity and peace have cruelly buried those hopes. On behalf of the ACB, I express my deepest sympathy to the families of the victims. We stand with them in this painful time and are deeply grieved by this tragedy.' Following the prayer and condolence ceremony, Mr. Ashraf, accompanied by the national players, also visited the site where the young cricketers were laid to rest, offering prayers for their souls and paying tribute to their memory. #ACB | #Paktika,' added the post.

https://x.com/ACBofficials/status/1980544304847126979

Sayed Naseem Sadaat, spokesperson for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), strongly condemned Pakistan's airstrike in Paktika province that killed three Afghan cricketers, urging global cricket boards to denounce the attack. He emphasised that cricket promotes peace and shouldn't be entangled with war, calling for the protection of cricketers and the sport from conflict.

In an exclusive interview with ANI, Sayed Naseem Sadaat 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 stay away from war. War should not be interfered with in sports. So we call upon all the cricket fraternity and boards to condemn such attacks and keep cricket away from war.'

Sadaat stated that they have clear evidence, including a video report, indicating that the Pakistani state was responsible for the attack that killed three Afghan cricketers in Paktika province.

'We got evidence that 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,' he said

'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,' he added.

Sadaat also stated that ACB management's decision to withdraw from the Tri-Nation T20I series was welcomed by the national team players, including senior players.

'The decision taken by ACB management was welcomed by all of our national team players, including the senior players who are playing for the national team. They were all fine with the decision. They welcomed the decision. They showed their grief and sorrow and shared their condolences with the families of the martyred cricketers and other innocent people in the area,' he concluded.

The tri-series will commence on November 17, with hosts Pakistan taking on Zimbabwe at the Rawalpindi Cricket Stadium. The second fixture will also be played at the same venue on November 19, when Sri Lanka takes on Zimbabwe. Following the two matches in Rawalpindi, the action will shift to Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium, which will stage the remaining five matches, including the final on November 29. (ANI)