Pakistan rejects ICC’s claim of Afghan cricketers’ deaths in alleged Pakistani strike

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has rejected the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) unverified claim alleging that three local Afghan cricketers were killed in a Pakistani strike.

Information Minister Atta Tarar dismissed the ICC’s “biased, selective, and immature remarks” as unfounded and irresponsible.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Atta Tarar said the ICC had presented no independent evidence to support its accusation.

He added that Pakistan itself is a victim of cross-border terrorism, and such statements reflect a troubling pattern under the new ICC leadership led by Jay Shah.

The minister also noted that Jay Shah had amplified the ICC’s statement on his personal social media account, followed by a similar claim issued by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB).

“These developments have raised serious questions about the ICC’s neutrality,” Tarar stated.

It is pertinent to mention that the Afghanistan Cricket Board recently withdrew from the tri-nation series scheduled in Pakistan in November, citing the recent tensions between the two countries.