00:00In a devastating development that has shocked the world and the sporting community alike,
00:15three Afghan cricketers are among eight civilians killed near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border
00:19after a Pakistani airstrike targeted the Paktika province. The incident, described by the Afghanistan
00:26cricket board as a cowardly attack, unfolded when the young athletes Kabir, Sibgatullah, and Harun
00:32returned home to Urgun after participating in a friendly cricket match in Sharana, the provincial
00:37capital. Their lives, along with five other innocent civilians, were cut short as they gathered with
00:43friends and family, marking a tragic loss for the nation and for the sport itself. According to
00:49official statements, the airstrike struck a residential area in Urgun district along the
00:54Duran line, in violation of an ongoing ceasefire between Pakistan and Afghanistan. This violent
00:59breach has sparked outrage not just within Afghanistan's cricketing circles, but across
01:04the country, drawing condemnation from public figures and officials. Rashid Khan, captain of the
01:10Afghanistan cricket team, described the attack as immoral and barbaric, voicing his support for the
01:15cricket board's swift and decisive reaction. Rashid wrote in his own statement on social media,
01:21I am deeply saddened by the loss of civilian lives in the recent Pakistani aerial strikes on
01:26Afghanistan, a tragedy that claimed the lives of women, children, and aspiring young cricketers
01:33who dreamed of representing their nation on the world stage. Another international player,
01:39Mohammed Nabi, added, this incident is not only a tragedy for Paktika, but for the entire Afghan
01:45cricket family and the nation as a whole. In the wake of this tragedy, the Afghanistan cricket board
01:51announced the withdrawal of the national team from the upcoming tri-nation T20 Vyan series,
01:57set to take place in Lahore and Rawalpindi in November. This series, which was to feature Pakistan,
02:03Afghanistan, and Sri Lanka, has now been overshadowed by grief and the urgent call for justice and
02:09accountability. The ACB's statement expressed deep sorrow, emphasizing that the loss of the cricketers
02:15is not just a blow to sports, but a wound felt by every Afghan. This attack comes amid rising tensions
02:21and frequent clashes along the disputed border, despite diplomatic efforts to maintain a temporary
02:27truce. Delegations from both sides had only days earlier been in talks to de-escalate violence,
02:32but with this tragic incident, hopes for peace seemed to have been dealt a severe setback.
03:02the ACB's statement of the
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