Furious reactions are pouring in from across Afghanistan and cricketing communities worldwide after three young Afghan cricketers were killed in airstrikes conducted by Pakistan in Paktika province on early Saturday morning. Social media platforms are flooded with calls to“Ban Pakistan from all ICC events,” as grief and anger sweep through the nation.

#Pakistan should be thrown out of @ICC.A state sponsor of radical Islamist terror is now a gun for hire for the US to get #Bagram air base killing innocents in #Afghanistan & its own pro Palestine protesters so brutally & indiscriminately in Lahore & Muridke.* Pak is a disgrace GAURAV C SAWANT (@gauravcsawant) October 18, 2025

If India with all its diplomacy and BCCI with all its financial clout doesn't get Pak banned from International Cricket then it's a historical miss. Pakistan is directly responsible for death of Afghanistan's Cricketers. What else is left? Get PAK BARRED FROM ICC!!

- Karan Verma (@KARAN_author) October 18, 2025

The BCCI should work with the Afghanistan Cricket board and others and actively seek to ban Pakistan from playing cricket. But then they will do the complete opposite. कुशल मेहरा (@kushal_mehra) October 18, 2025

The International Human Rights Foundation (IHRF) condemns in the strongest terms the killing of members of a local Afghan cricket team in a bombardment by the Pakistani military. This attack on a civilian target constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law and... twitter/TI1fxzUTDx

- International Human Rights Foundation (@IHRF_English) October 17, 2025

Tragic Loss of Young Talent

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) confirmed the deaths of Kabeer, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, all promising players from Urgun District. They were returning from a friendly match in Sharana, the provincial capital, when the attack occurred. Five civilians were killed and seven others were injured.

“In this heartbreaking incident, three players (Kabeer, Sibghatullah and Haroon) alongside 5 other fellow countrymen from Urgun District were martyred, and seven others were injured. The players had earlier traveled to Sharana, the capital of Paktika province, to participate in a friendly cricket match. After returning home to Urgun, they were targeted during a gathering,” wrote ACB in a statement.

“The ACB considers this a great loss for Afghanistan's sports community, its athletes, and the cricketing family. The ACB also extends its deepest condolences and solidarity to the bereaved families of the martyrs and to the people of Paktika Province,” the statement added.

Statement of CondolenceThe 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... twitter/YkenImtuVR

- Afghanistan Cricket Board (@ACBofficials) October 17, 2025

#BREAKING The Pakistani regime, in its blind bombardment, has martyred these cricket players.#AfghanistanAndPakistan #AfghanistanPakistanWar twitter/riYQBdESwb

- Afghanistan Guardian (@WakhanIntel) October 17, 2025

Withdrawal from Tri-Nation Series

In response to the tragedy, Afghanistan has decided to pull out of the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I series scheduled in Pakistan's Rawalpindi and Lahore from November 17 to 29, which also involved Sri Lanka.

“In response of this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan, scheduled to be played in late November,” the ACB statement added.

Social Media Outrage

Netizens have taken to social media, demanding that the International Cricket Council (ICC) take strong action against Pakistan. Many users highlighted the human cost of the ongoing cross-border tensions, sharing emotional tributes and videos of the young players in local matches, painting a picture of dreams cut short.

Imagine young men and women going out to play. Imagine they don't return and get killed by bombs. That's our world now. Killing of innocent Afghan cricketers should be enough to ban Pakistan from international sport. My piece for ⁦@moneycontrolcom⁩ Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) October 18, 2025

We don't want to play cricket with terrorists Pakistan right now!#AfghanistanAndPakistan twitter/3qbNqY4ISX

- Harshit Rana (@RarshitHana) October 17, 2025

@ICC Its high time u ban Pakistan cricket for the human rights violation it committed by murdering 8 innocent Afghan cricket players. #ICC #Cricket #Pakistan #Afghanistan twitter/kAoFVCVjbY

- Devil Returns (@zcultAk) October 18, 2025

@ICC BAN pakistan from international cricket.@JayShah @BCCI Himanshu Kr (@kr_himanshu_) October 18, 2025

Afghanistan8 demostic cricket players killed in Pakistan airstrike.@ICC ban Pakistan team army is nothing short of Hamas and ISIS

- सौम्या சௌமியா (Modi's family) (@sowmiyasid) October 18, 2025

Today, the Pakistani army has killed innocent players from Afghanistan. The ICC should immediately ban Pakistan from playing cricket as a sign of protest.@ICC @sunilga @ACCMedia1 @BCCI @MuqtedarKhan Sir why are you silent?

- BABA BALLIATIC (@tiwarifcs) October 18, 2025

The killing of many innocent, young Afghanistan cricketers should be enough to ban Pakistan from playing all international sports should be ban for 2027 WC twitter/ds8igzh5b8

- CricVipez (@CricVipezAP) October 18, 2025

Isn't this a valid reason to ban #Pakistan from cricket? This filth must be cleaned up once and for all dirty #Pakistani army are polluting the entire world. Our full sympathy and support is with #Afghanistan#AfghanistanAndPakistan #AfghanistanPakistanWar #AfghanTaliban twitter/ibLVHXbKYt

- Yashpal Singh (@Yashpal0077) October 18, 2025

It's the time for @ICC to ban the bloody Pakistan team. What a shameful incident on the @ACBofficials national team by Paakis. It's a gentlemen game idiots. @BCCI @JayShah

- Rakesh Reddy Chirra (@rakeshreddy_ch) October 18, 2025

@ICC @JayShah Hope you finally show some spine. Ban Pakistan now for the abhorrent war crime #Afghancricket

- Samrat Banerjee (@sambane) October 18, 2025

International cricket must not be played in Pakistan. Time to do the same thing @ICC did in 2009 ban on International cricket in Pakistan.

- Slogger (@kirikraja) October 18, 2025

Afghanistan has pulled out from the Tri-Series due to Pakistan's cowardly airstrikes in Afghanistan dicision by @ACBofficialsICC needs to ban a shameless terror nation pakistan#Afghanistan #AfghanistanAndPakistan #AfghanistanPakistanWar #AfghanTaliban twitter/VNsRdrWVFJ

-  (@IFootcric68275) October 18, 2025

It's time for @ICC to ban Pakistan and its tin pot league. Cut down their share of funds. MnM (@AltMenM) October 18, 2025

ICC must ban Pakistan cricket team and ask their government for clarification. Naveed Safi (@Safi_096) October 18, 2025

This is what Pakistan is expert at, Attacking innocent civilians. Their aand forces get hammered black and blue in actual combat so they do such frustrated attacks on easy targets.@ICC should ban Pakistan from playing cricket. There should not be half measures on cowards. Ganesh (@gs_2772) October 18, 2025

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