Pakistan’s Federal Information Minister AtaullahTarar has dismissed the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) statement on the death of three cricketers in Afghanistan as “selective”, “biased” in nature.
The ICC and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) had on Saturday condoled the death of cricketers in Afghanistan in an airstrike in Paktika province without mentioning Pakistan in their statements.
The governing bodies reacted after the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) decided to withdraw its team from the tri-series in Pakistan next month.
The Pakistan Cricket Board later announced this will replace Afghanistan Zimbabwe for a tri-series that also includes Sri Lanka.
“We reject and condemn this statement by the ICC which gives the impression that three Afghan cricketers have been killed in attacks in Pakistan,” Tarar said in a statement on Sunday.
“The ICC did not bother to independently verify the Afghan council’s claims and issued a statement claiming it was a Pakistani attack,” he said.
PAKISTAN LOOKS FOR EVIDENCE
The minister said that Pakistan itself has been a victim of terrorism for years and demanded that the ICC correct its statement.
“It is curious that hours after the ICC statement, ICC Chairman Jay Shah repeated the same words on his social media account and the Afghan council followed suit with similar words.
“The Afghan council made a statement without presenting any real evidence,” he added.
Several Afghan cricketers, including stars like Rashid Khan and Gulbadin Naib, condemned the airstrike and subsequent deaths in strong terms through their social media posts on Saturday.
Tarar said recent events, including the no-handshake episode at the recent Asia Cup, could be taken as a biased approach towards Pakistan cricket.
“This raises serious questions about the independence and impartiality of the ICC. The international sports governing body should not promote a controversial claim that has not yet been verified.”
“The ICC should remain independent and avoid making controversial statements about inciting others,” he said.
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
October 19, 2025
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