In the quiet aftermath of a friendly cricket match in Sharana, the capital of Afghanistan’s Paktika province, a group of local club cricketers accepted an invitation to dinner—a simple gesture of camaraderie that would, tragically, become their last. On October 19, 2025, as dusk settled over Urgun, Paktika, three of those players—Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon—were killed in a series of airstrikes that Afghan officials and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have attributed to Pakistan. The incident, which also left others injured, has sent ripples of grief and outrage through Afghanistan’s sporting community and reignited fierce debate over the volatile border region and the broader political tensions between the two countries.
According to Cricbuzz, the cricketers had traveled to Sharana earlier that day to participate in a friendly match. Afterwards, some teammates, exhausted from play, declined an invitation to a small meal. Others, including the three who would lose their lives, decided to join. The gathering was shattered by what has been described as three distinct waves of attacks before nightfall. "They had played a game earlier in the day and were later invited to a friend's place. Some of the players said they were too tired to join, so they stayed back, but a few others went. Among those who went, the host was injured, and three club-level Afghan cricketers were killed. The incident unfolded in three waves—the place was attacked once, followed by a second and then a third one," a former Afghanistan player recounted during an online debate on Saturday, as reported by Cricbuzz.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board was quick to confirm the identities of the victims and reported that several others were injured in the attack. In a move that underscored the depth of the tragedy, the ACB announced the national team would withdraw from the upcoming T20I tri-series in Pakistan, scheduled for mid-November 2025. The Board described the deaths as a devastating loss, not only for the families and communities of the players but for Afghanistan’s cricketing future as a whole.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) expressed its "deep sadness and shock over the deaths of the three young cricketers," emphasizing the profound impact on their families, communities, and the global cricket family. The ICC also affirmed its support for the Afghanistan Cricket Board during this difficult period. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a statement as well, condemning what it termed the "cowardly cross-border airstrikes in Paktika that resulted in the deaths of the three players," and expressing solidarity with Afghanistan’s cricket community as it mourned.
While the ACB has laid blame on Pakistan for the strikes, investigations are ongoing to determine whether the attack involved Pakistani jets or missile strikes. What remains indisputable, however, is the human cost: three young men, who had spent their day immersed in the sport they loved, never returned from what should have been a simple, convivial meal.
The attack has not only devastated Afghanistan’s cricket community but has also reignited broader political tensions across the region. On October 19 and 20, 2025, Pakistan launched a series of assaults on Afghan territory, actions that Dr. Naseem Baloch, Chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), condemned as violations of international law and Afghan sovereignty. In a statement shared on social media, Dr. Baloch argued that "Pakistan had misjudged the situation by believing that the creation of the Taliban government in Afghanistan would render the Durand Line issue inconsequential and that Kabul’s foreign policy would align entirely with Islamabad’s interests." Instead, he said, "the Afghan government has declined to allow Pakistan to interfere in its sovereign matters."
Dr. Baloch’s criticism went further, framing the attack as part of a broader, longstanding policy by Pakistan to meddle in Afghanistan’s internal affairs. According to his statement, "BNM believes this attack is a continuation of Pakistan’s longstanding policy of meddling in Afghanistan’s internal affairs, seeking to expand its influence through military aggression and manufactured conflicts, to keep Afghanistan unstable, weakened, and ultimately within Pakistan’s sphere of control. For decades, the Pakistani state has played a central role in plunging the Afghan homeland into continuous war, serving as a proxy and facilitator for foreign invaders."
The Baloch National Movement expressed full solidarity with the Afghan people, highlighting the shared heritage, history, and culture of the Baloch and Afghan populations. Dr. Baloch warned that the attack marks the beginning of a "new aggressive approach in the region," and urged Pashtuns living under Pakistani governance to take Pakistan’s provocations seriously. He linked the assault to ongoing issues such as the "genocide of Pashtuns, the ongoing instability in the Pashtun homeland, and the supremacy of the Punjabi military," as outlined in the BNM’s statement.
Further complicating the diplomatic landscape, Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs updated its official statement on a recent ceasefire agreement between Pakistan and Afghanistan, removing the word “border” after it drew widespread reaction from Afghan officials. This seemingly minor change reflects the sensitivity and complexity of the territorial disputes and the deep mistrust that continues to define relations between Kabul and Islamabad.
For Afghanistan’s cricketing community, the tragedy is deeply personal. The loss of Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon—three promising club cricketers—has left a void that no investigation or diplomatic maneuvering can fill. As the ACB mourns, the decision to withdraw from the tri-series in Pakistan stands as both a mark of respect for the fallen and a protest against the violence that claimed their lives.
Meanwhile, the broader Afghan public, as well as their allies in the region such as the Baloch National Movement, interpret the attack as part of a recurring pattern of cross-border aggression and interference. The chorus of condemnation from sporting and political bodies alike underscores the gravity of the incident and the urgent need for a resolution to the tensions that continue to imperil lives on both sides of the border.
As investigations continue into the precise nature of the attack—whether it was carried out by jets or missile strikes—the families of the victims, their teammates, and the wider cricketing world are left to grapple with the senseless loss. The hope, faint as it may be, is that the deaths of these young athletes will serve as a catalyst for greater accountability and a renewed commitment to peace in a region all too familiar with tragedy.
