‘Barbaric, Immoral’: Rashid Khan, Nabi Slam Pakistan For Deadly Airstrike In Urgun | Cricket News

Afghanistan T20 captain Rashid Khan (PTI)

Afghanistan men’s international cricketers, led by captain Rashid Khan, have spoken in unison to criticize Pakistan after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) claimed that three cricketers and five more civilians were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Urgun District on Friday.

Afghanistan and Pakistan have been involved in a deadly border conflict for the past few weeks, leading to dozens of casualties. A two-day ceasefire was declared recently, which Afghanistan’s Taliban leadership claims to have been broken by Pakistan, while also warning of further ‘retaliation’,

In response, the ACB also pulled out of a scheduled tri-series in Pakistan, also involving Sri Lanka.

“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,” Rashid, who captained Afghanistan in the recent 2025 Asia Cup and another tri-series involving Pakistan in the UAE before that tournament, said in a statement.

“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 of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time, our national dignity must come before all else,” he added.

Mohammad Nabi, who has also captained Afghanistan and is the country’s most capped cricketer added, “I am deeply saddened to hear about the martyrdom of young cricketers in the brutal airstrike by the Pakistani military regime. This incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika but for the entire Afghan cricket family and the nation as a whole.”

Fast bowler Fazalhaq Farooqi also commented: “The massacre of innocent civilians and our domestic cricket players by these oppressors is a heinous, unforgivable crime. May Almighty Allah grant the martyrs the highest place in Paradise, humiliate the perpetrators, and subject them to His wrath. The killing of players and civilians is not honor — it is the deepest disgrace. Long live Afghanistan.

The tri-series was to begin on November 17 and run till November 29, with matches in Rawalpindi and Lahore.