Noida (Uttar Pradesh) [India], October 18 : Former Indian cricketer Madan Lal has mourned the killing of three Afghanistan cricketers in "an attack carried out by the Pakistani regime" on Friday and said Afghanistan Board will decide on the course of action it wants to adopt on cricketing ties vis-a-vis its neighbour.
Three local Afghanistan cricketers were among eight people who were killed in an airstrike in Paktika province.
"How their three players died, it is a matter of grief. The rest of the decisions rest with the Afghanistan Board. Whether they play or not, what is their opinion, they know more. What are the processes, how do we manage, all these things will be decided by the Afghanistan board. And no one else can decide," Madan Lal told ANI.
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has confirmed that the local players, identified as Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, were among eight people killed in the airstrike in the Urgun district.
In response to the terror attack, Afghanistan announced its withdrawal from the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I series involving Pakistan, scheduled to commence on November 5.
ACB said the 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 on Saturday, the Afghanistan board described the attack as "a cowardly act carried out by the Pakistani regime."
Pakistan and Afghanistan had agreed to a temporary truce after earlier clashes but the ceasefire agreement was breached after at least six people, including two children, were killed and seven others wounded in a series of airstrikes conducted by Pakistan in Afghanistan's southeastern Paktika province, according to Tolo News. The airstrikes reportedly targeted residential areas in the Argun and Barmal districts of the country, causing significant civilian casualties.
After the airstrikes, the Afghanistan cricket team paid tribute to the victims ahead of their one-off Test match against Zimbabwe in Harare during their practice session.
ACB posted in their statement on X, "AfghanAtalan, during their practice session ahead of the one-off Test match against Zimbabwe, gathered together to pay tribute to the victims of the tragic attack in Paktika province and expressed their deepest condolences and solidarity with the bereaved families and all Afghans affected by this heartbreaking incident. Last night, several local citizens, including three cricketers, were martyred, and many others were injured in a tragic airstrike carried out by the Pakistani regime."
Afghanistan's premier spinner, Rashid Khan, called the attack "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," he wrote 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. In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB's decision to withdraw from the upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time, our national dignity must come before all else," he added.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) also issued a statement expressing grief over the loss of these three cricketers and expressed solidarity with the ACB.
"The International Cricket Council (ICC) is deeply saddened and appalled by the tragic deaths of three young and promising Afghan cricketers, Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who lost their lives in a recent airstrike in Afghanistan's Paktika province. The three young men had returned home after participating in a friendly cricket match when they were killed in an attack that also claimed the lives of several civilians," the statement said.
"The ICC strongly condemns this act of violence that has robbed families, communities, and the cricketing world of three bright talents whose only ambition was to play the sport they loved. The ICC stands in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and echoes their grief," it added.
BCCI also expressed solidarity with ACB. "The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) expresses its deep sorrow and condolences on the tragic loss of three young Afghan cricketers - Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon - who lost their lives in the cowardly cross-border airstrikes in Paktika province," it said in a statement
"The BCCI stands in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB), the cricket fraternity, and the families of the departed players during this moment of profound grief and condemns this ghastly and unwarranted attack. The loss of innocent lives, particularly those of promising sportspersons, is deeply distressing and a matter of great concern. The BCCI conveys its heartfelt sympathies to the people of Afghanistan and shares in their pain and loss," the statement added.
ACB extended its "sincere gratitude" to ICC for its statement.
"The Afghanistan Cricket Board extends its sincere gratitude to the @ICC for issuing its statement following the ACB's appeal. This gesture genuinely reflects the ICC's neutrality, compassion, and commitment to fairness in expressing its sorrow and sympathy over the tragic martyrdom of young domestic cricketers in Afghanistan," the statement said.
"The ACB has consistently upheld the principle of keeping sports separate from politics and has maintained this stance within the framework of the ICC. The Afghanistan Cricket Board once again strongly condemns this act of violence. While deeply appreciating the ICC's expression of solidarity, the ACB urges the implementation of firm and decisive measures against those responsible for this inhumane attack," the statement added.
Madan Lal also spoke on India playing Pakistan in the recently-concluded Asia Cup. India had carried out Op Sindoor in response to Pahalgam terror attack.
"Whatever happened in Pahalgam was not good. We all regret it. But the fact that our Indian cricket team played so well in the Asia Cup is also a matter of joy. But you cannot compare Pahalgam and the series we won. Because, as they say, the children in the family, or their parents, or anyone who has passed away, their grief will remain. Pahalgam cannot be forgotten," he said.
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