Afghanistan pulls out of series after saying Pakistan air strike killed local players

Afghanistan will nary longer return portion successful an upcoming cricket bid aft 3 players successful a section tourney were killed successful an aerial strike, nan nation's cricketing assemblage says.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) said it would retreat from November's tri-nation T20 bid retired of respect for nan dead, who it said were "targeted" successful an "attack carried retired by nan Pakistani regime" connected Friday. The 3 did not play for nan nationalist team.

The onslaught deed a location successful Urgon territory successful Paktika province, wherever nan players were eating meal aft a match, witnesses and section officials told nan BBC.

Eight group were killed, nan ACB said. Pakistan said nan onslaught deed militants and denied targeting civilians.

The ACB named nan 3 players who were killed arsenic Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah and Haroon, calling their deaths "a awesome nonaccomplishment for Afghanistan's sports community, its athletes, and nan cricketing family".

The International Cricket Council (ICC) said it was "deeply saddened and appalled" by nan "tragic deaths of 3 young and promising Afghan cricketers" successful an aerial onslaught that besides "claimed nan lives of respective civilians".

"The ICC stands successful solidarity pinch nan Afghanistan Cricket Board and echoes their grief," it said successful a statement, adding that it "strongly condemns this enactment of violence".

The onslaught came hours aft a impermanent truce betwixt Afghanistan and Pakistan was owed to expire pursuing days of deadly clashes connected nan separator betwixt nan 2 nations. Dozens of casualties person been reported.

Pakistan said it had targeted Afghan militants successful nan aerial onslaught and that astatine slightest 70 combatants had been killed.

Pakistan's Minister of Information Attaullah Tarar said claims that nan onslaught targeted civilians are "false and meant to make support for violent groups operating from wrong Afghanistan".

In a societal media post, Afghan nationalist squad skipper Rashid Khan paid tribute to nan "aspiring young cricketers who dreamed of representing their federation connected nan world stage".

Other players for nan Afghan nationalist broadside joined nan tributes, including Fazalhaq Farooqi, who said nan onslaught was a "heinous, unforgivable crime".

On Saturday, ample crowds of group were seen gathering astatine nan ceremonial for nan strike's victims.

The onslaught came aft Pakistani officials said 7 soldiers were killed successful a termination onslaught adjacent nan Afghan separator connected Friday.

The 48-hour truce betwixt Afghanistan and Pakistan, which began connected Wednesday astatine 13:00 GMT, has reportedly been extended to let for negotiations.

An Afghan delegation arrived successful nan Qatari superior of Doha connected Saturday for bid talks pinch nan Pakistani side.

The Taliban authorities said it would return portion successful nan talks contempt "Pakistani aggression", which it says was Islamabad's effort to prolong nan conflict.

Former Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Pakistan should "reconsider its policies, and prosecute friends and civilised relations" pinch Afghanistan.

Pakistan's Foreign Office said connected Saturday that Defence Minister Khawaja Asif would lead nan country's delegation successful Doha.

It said nan talks will attraction connected ending cross-border coercion and restoring bid and stableness connected nan Pakistan-Afghan border.

Zimbabwe will now switch Afghanistan successful nan T20 series.