{"id":357108,"date":"2025-10-18T21:16:22","date_gmt":"2025-10-18T15:46:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/?p=357108"},"modified":"2025-10-18T21:45:09","modified_gmt":"2025-10-18T16:15:09","slug":"bcci-condemns-cowardly-cross-border-airstrike-that-killed-three-young-afghan-cricketers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/bcci-condemns-cowardly-cross-border-airstrike-that-killed-three-young-afghan-cricketers\/","title":{"rendered":"ICC, BCCI condole death of Afghan cricketers killed in alleged Pak airstrike"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For India, the BCCI\u2019s sharp condemnation subtly reinforces New Delhi\u2019s alignment with Kabul\u2019s concerns, while isolating Islamabad on moral and sporting grounds<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: social media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of three young Afghan cricketers \u2014 Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon \u2014 reportedly killed in an alleged Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan\u2019s Paktika province.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In a strongly worded statement, the BCCI described the incident as a \u201ccowardly cross-border airstrike\u201d and extended its condolences to the victims\u2019 families and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe BCCI expresses its deep sorrow and condolences on the tragic loss of three young Afghan cricketers… The Board stands in solidarity with the ACB, the cricket fraternity, and the families of the departed players during this moment of profound grief. The loss of innocent lives, especially those of promising sportspersons, is deeply distressing and a matter of great concern,\u201d said BCCI Secretary Devajit Saikia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

He added that the BCCI \u201cshares in the pain and loss of the people of Afghanistan\u201d and called the attack \u201cghastly and unwarranted.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The International Cricket Council (ICC) also condemned the deaths and assured the ACB of its support in these difficult times. “Deeply saddened by the loss of three young Afghan cricketers, Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, whose dreams were cut short by a senseless act of violence. The loss of such promising talent is a tragedy not just for Afghanistan but for the entire cricketing world. We stand in solidarity with the Afghanistan Cricket Board and all those mourning this heartbreaking loss,” ICC Chairman Jay Shah said<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In response to the tragedy, Afghanistan has withdrawn from the upcoming tri-nation series involving Sri Lanka and Pakistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Despite the withdrawal, the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) reportedly announced that the series would proceed as scheduled and revealed that talks are already underway with other teams to fill Afghanistan\u2019s slot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This development also adds a diplomatic undertone to the ongoing cricketing tensions between India and Pakistan. The BCCI and PCB have been at odds since the Asia Cup incident, when PCB chief and Pakistan cabinet minister Mohsin Naqvi walked away with the trophy after the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian side declined to accept it amid the backdrop of \u201cOperation Sindoor.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The deaths have cast a long diplomatic shadow across South Asia. Afghanistan\u2019s decision to withdraw from the tri-nation series is being seen as a symbolic rebuke to Pakistan, amplifying calls for accountability over cross-border strikes. For India, the BCCI\u2019s sharp condemnation subtly reinforces New Delhi\u2019s alignment with Kabul\u2019s concerns, while isolating Islamabad on moral and sporting grounds. The incident risks escalating regional tensions, intertwining cricket with geopolitics once again. It also exposes how South Asia\u2019s fiercest rivalries often spill beyond diplomacy and into the heart of its most beloved game.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

For India, the BCCI\u2019s sharp condemnation subtly reinforces New Delhi\u2019s alignment with Kabul\u2019s concerns, while isolating Islamabad on moral and sporting grounds The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has expressed deep sorrow over the death of three young Afghan cricketers \u2014 Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon \u2014 reportedly killed in an alleged […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":187,"featured_media":357113,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2519,53],"tags":[16349,16616,17499,16742,16061],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357108"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/users\/187"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=357108"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357108\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":357114,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/357108\/revisions\/357114"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media\/357113"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=357108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=357108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tehelka.com\/rest-api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=357108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}