Pakistan slams ICC’s ‘unverified’ statement on Afghanistan cricketers’ deaths in airstrike incident

Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Information, Ata Tarar, has dismissed the International Cricket Council (ICC)’s statement on the deaths of three Afghan cricketers, calling it selective and biased. The ICC, along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), had on Saturday expressed condolences over the deaths of the Afghan players in an aerial attack in Paktika Province, but made no mention of Pakistan in their statements.

The reactions came after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) decided to withdraw its team from a tri-series scheduled to be held in Pakistan next month. The Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) subsequently announced that Zimbabwe would replace Afghanistan in the tri-series, which also involves Sri Lanka.

“We dismiss and condemn this statement by the ICC which gives the impression and makes claims that three Afghan cricketers were killed in Pakistan strikes,” Tarar said in a statement on Sunday as quoted by NDTV Sports.

“The ICC has not bothered to independently verify the claims by the Afghanistan board and issued a statement claiming a Pakistan attack,” he added.

The minister stated that Pakistan itself has been a victim of terrorism for years and urged the ICC to correct its statement. Several Afghan cricketers, including stars such as Rashid Khan and Gulbadin Naib, strongly condemned the aerial attack and the resulting deaths in social media posts on Saturday.

“It is strange that a few hours after the ICC statement, the Chairman of the ICC Jay Shah repeated the same words on his social media account and the Afghanistan board followed with similar words. The Afghanistan board made statements without presenting any real evidence,” Tarar said.

Tarar also remarked that recent incidents, including the no-handshake episode during the Asia Cup, could be seen as evidence of a biased approach toward Pakistan cricket.

“This seriously raises questions on the ICC’s independence and unbiased approach. An international sports governing body should not be promoting a controversial claim yet to be verified. The ICC should remain independent and avoid making contentious statements on the incitement of others,” Tarar concluded.

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