Despite a ceasefire being in place and the negotiations are underway in Doha, Pakistan-Afghanistan border clash has been soaring. In the latest escalation, Pakistan’s relentless air strikes targeted towards the Paktika province of Afghanistan has killed three Afghan cricketers. As an impact of this high-profile causality, the Afghanistan Cricket Board(ACB) has withdrawn from the upcoming T-20 tri-series cricket match that included Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
The Afghan Cricket Board has described the Pakistan atrocity as “a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime”. “In this heartbreaking incident three players Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon alongside 5 other fellow countrymen from Urgun District were martyred and seven others were injured”, the ACB said in a statement. The tri-series cricket match was scheduled from November 5 to 29 at Lahore and Rawalpindi. “The players had earlier traveled 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. The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan’s sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family”, the ACB statement further added.
Meanwhile, the captain of the Afghanistan cricket team Rashid Khan has strongly condemned the air strikes of Pakistan as “barbaric”. He has also supported the decision of the Afghan cricket board to halt the tri-series match. “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. 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”, Rashid Khan asserted.
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.
It is absolutely immoral and…
— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) October 17, 2025
The decision of the Afghanistan cricket board to withdraw from the tri-series match to be hosted in Pakistan is yet again a humiliation for Islamabad. Despite Pakistan’s agenda to revive international cricket in its home ground and seek global recognition, its aim is repeatedly failing. The reason is Pakistan’s true agenda and political motives speak more than its cricket aspirations. While it relentlessly fires across the border causing humanitarian catastrophes, it cannot expect its neighbours to play friendly cricket with them.
Border conflict between Afghanistan and Pakistan has been spiking since October 11. Even a fragile 48 hour ceasefire was reached which was broken due to Pakistan’s ingrained attribute of violating the ceasefires. The conflict resurfaced as Islamabad carried out air strikes in the Paktika province of Afghanistan across the Durand line, which apparently Kabul doesn’t recognize as a legitimate and mutually accepted border line.
India supports sovereignty and territorial integrity of Afghanistan
Reacting to the escalating conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Ministry of External Affairs asserted that India remains committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence of Afghanistan.
#WATCH | Delhi | On the tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan, MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal says, "… Three things are clear. One, Pakistan hosts terrorist organisations and sponsors terrorist activities. Two, it is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours… pic.twitter.com/89mmeBdQmC
— ANI (@ANI) October 16, 2025
“Three things are clear. One, Pakistan hosts terrorists’ organizations and sponsors terrorist activities. Two, it is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbours for its own internal failures. Three, Pakistan is infuriated with Afghanistan exercising sovereignty over its own territories. India remains fully committed to the sovereignty, territorial integrity and the independence of Afghanistan”, MEA statement further added.
