Pakistan slams ICC's 'biased, premature' statement on Afghan cricketers' deaths

Tarar says the cricket governing body must remain impartial and avoid political entanglements

Information Minister Atta Tarar has categorically rejected the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) 'selective, biased, and premature' statement regarding the deaths of three Afghan cricketers, which claimed they were killed in an 'airstrike in Paktika'.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board, in a statement, had said that three local cricketers were killed in a military strike in Paktika province and announced its withdrawal from next month’s tri-nation series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Later, in a statement, the ICC condemned the attack, saying it stands in solidarity with the ACB and shares in their grief. "The ICC is deeply saddened and appalled by the tragic deaths of three young and promising Afghan cricketers, Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who lost their lives in a recent airstrike in Afghanistan's Paktika province," the global governing body for cricket said in a statement.

Read More: Three Afghan cricketers killed in attack: cricket board

"The ICC strongly condemns this act of violence that has devastated families, communities, and the cricketing world of three bright talents whose only ambition was to play the sport they loved."

The unsubstantiated and one-sided statement prompted the information minister to issue a response, calling it a ‘selective, biased, and premature’ remark that promotes a contested allegation.

Pakistan, a prime victim of cross-border terrorism, rejects the ICC’s selective, biased and premature comment that advances a disputed allegation, as established, that three “Afghan cricketers” died in an “airstrike”. The ICC has cited no independent verification to substantiate…

— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) October 18, 2025

“Pakistan, a prime victim of cross-border terrorism, rejects the ICC’s comment that advances a disputed allegation,” Tarar said in post on X.

He said that the ICC has cited no independent verification to substantiate these claims saying that Pakistan strongly rejects the characterisation, contests the ICC’s claim and calls for immediate correction.

He added that the ICC’s handling of the matter reflected a broader pattern of “amplification without evidence” and “narrative manipulation.”

Also Read: Scores killed in 'precision strikes' on 'Kharji Gul Bahadur camps in Paktika': officials

“We note a troubling pattern of amplification without any attempt at evidence gathering,” he said. “Within hours of the ICC release, its Chair, Jay Shah, publicly echoed the same claim on X, and the Afghanistan Cricket Board followed suit, explicitly invoking the ICC’s statement rather than providing details or proof. This sequencing is an attempt at manufacturing an ostensible echo chamber.”

The minister also referred to what he described as India’s attempts to influence cricket administration, citing previous controversies that involved Pakistan.

“This episode follows a pattern of avoidable controversies under the ICC’s current leadership that have disproportionately attempted to affect Pakistan cricket — including the recent ‘handshake controversy’ that delayed Pakistan’s Asia Cup fixture until a resolution was found,” Tarar said, adding, “These incidents have eroded confidence in the ICC’s neutrality.”

He stressed, the ICC must maintain impartiality and refrain from political entanglements. “A global regulator must not appear to push any biased narrative,” he said. “Pakistan has consistently held that politics must not contaminate sport, especially cricket, and urges the ICC to uphold its independence and the spirit of the game.”

The minister concluded by saying that Pakistan expected the ICC “to restore its neutrality, international standards of fair play, and unbiased conduct, and to address the dangerous precedent of embroiling a global sport regulator in narratives linked to violent extremists.”