At least three Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani airstrike in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktika province, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said on Friday.

In a statement, the ACB identified the victims by their single names — Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon — saying they had travelled from Urgun to Sharana, near the Pakistan border, to participate in a friendly match.

After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime,” the ACB said, adding that five others were also killed in the strike.

Following the attack, the ACB announced its withdrawal from the upcoming tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka scheduled for next month, calling it a “gesture of respect to the victims.”

The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses its deepest sorrow and grief over the tragic martyrdom of the brave cricketers from Urgun District in Paktika Province, who were targeted this evening in a cowardly attack carried out by the Pakistani regime,” the board said in a post on X (formerly Twitter).

Afghanistan’s T20 captain Rashid Khan strongly condemned the strike, describing it as a “barbaric assault on civilians.”

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 wrote on X.

He added that such “unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed.”

Rashid also expressed support for the ACB’s decision to withdraw from the upcoming series against Pakistan, stating that “our national dignity must come before all else.”

The airstrike occurred amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan along their shared border.

According to Afghan media outlets, including Tolo News, Pakistani forces conducted multiple air raids in Urgun and Barmal districts on Friday, targeting residential areas and causing several civilian casualties.

The reported attacks took place during a 48-hour ceasefire agreement following days of cross-border clashes.