Islamabad, October 19, 2025 — Pakistan has strongly rejected the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) statement regarding the reported deaths of three Afghan cricketers, calling it “selective, biased, and premature.”
Information Minister Atta Tarar issued a firm response on Sunday after the ICC expressed condolences over the deaths of Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah, and Haroon, who the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) claimed were killed in an “airstrike in Paktika province.”
In its statement, the ICC said it was “deeply saddened and appalled by the tragic deaths” and extended solidarity with the ACB. The global body added that it “strongly condemns this act of violence that has devastated families, communities, and the cricketing world.”
However, Pakistan rejected the ICC’s remarks, emphasizing that the statement lacked independent verification.
“Pakistan, a prime victim of cross-border terrorism, rejects the ICC’s comment that advances a disputed allegation,” Minister Tarar wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
He stressed that the ICC had “cited no independent evidence” to support its claim and urged the organization to correct what he called a “one-sided and unverified narrative.”
Tarar criticized the ICC for what he described as “amplification without evidence” and “narrative manipulation.” He added that the quick succession of statements from ICC Chair Jay Shah and the ACB “appeared coordinated to create an echo chamber rather than present verified facts.”
“Within hours of the ICC release, its Chair publicly echoed the same claim, and the ACB followed suit without providing proof,” Tarar noted. “This sequencing reflects an attempt at manufacturing consensus.”
The minister also linked the controversy to what he called India’s growing influence within international cricket governance, recalling earlier disputes involving Pakistan.
“This episode follows a pattern of controversies under the ICC’s current leadership that have targeted Pakistan — including the recent ‘handshake controversy’ during the Asia Cup,” he stated. “Such incidents have eroded confidence in the ICC’s neutrality.”
Reaffirming Pakistan’s stance, Tarar urged the ICC to uphold fairness and avoid political bias.
“A global regulator must not appear to push any political or biased narrative,” he said. “Pakistan has always maintained that politics must not contaminate sport, especially cricket.”
Concluding his statement, Tarar said Pakistan expects the ICC to “restore neutrality, maintain international standards of fair play, and avoid involvement in narratives linked to violent extremism.”