‘Can take tips’: Uddhav Sena MP to BCCI, Centre as Afghanistan calls off series with Pak over cricketers’ killing
The ACB pulled out of the upcoming Tri-Nation series in response to Islamabad's airstrikes and a gesture to the victims of Afghanistan-Pakistan clashes.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board announced on Friday that the team is pulling out of the upcoming Tri-Nation series involving Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The move came after at least 10 people, including three cricketers, were killed as Afghan officials claimed Pakistan breached a ceasefire agreement.
The move invited appreciation from Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Priyanka Chaturvedi, who cited it to take jabs at the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the Indian government. Chaturvedi said they can "take tips on how to prioritise the nation over sports". Follow Afghanistan-Pakistan clash live updates
The Pakistani military airstrikes were reportedly carried out in Paktika province's Argun and Barmal districts.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) claimed that three local Afghan cricketers from Urgun district, who had recently returned after a friendly match in Sharana, were killed in the strikes. These three players were Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah and Haroon.
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The ACB expressed condolences over the demise of the cricketers and others in the Pakistani strikes. It further said in a post on X, "In response to this tragic incident and as a gesture of respect to the victims, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has decided to withdraw from participating in the upcoming Tri-Nation T20I Series involving Pakistan, scheduled to be played in late November."
Afghanistan Captain Rashid Khan also condemned the Pakistani airstrikes and said that such "unjust and unlawful actions represent a grave violation of human rights and must not go unnoticed".
"In light of the precious innocent souls lost, I welcome the ACB’s decision of withdrawing from upcoming fixtures against Pakistan. I stand with our people at this difficult time, our national dignity must come before all else," he added in his X post.
Sena UBT on 'tips' for BCCI, Govt
Sena UBT leader Priyanka Chaturvedi reacted to the Afghanistan Cricket Board's decision and posted on X, "Pakistan establishment is made up of a bunch of cowards who thrive on the blood of their innocent victims and get thrashed at the borders. Shame on them. Good to see Afghanistan Cricket Board call off their series matches with Pakistan, maybe BCCI and GoI can take tips on how to prioritise nation over sports."
Chaturvedi's jibe seemingly was made in reference to the recent Asia Cup matches India played against Pakistan.
Including the Sena UBT MP, several other opposition leaders had called for India not to play against Pakistan in view of the escalated tensions between the South Asian neighbours.
India-Pakistan tensions
This year, India and Pakistan witnessed their highest peak of tensions after the April 22 terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam that killed 26 people.
The Indian armed forces carried out Operation Sindoor on May 7 in response to the attack, targeting terror infrastructure belonging to outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Taiba, within Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
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As Pakistan attempted to launch retaliatory strikes, the Indian forces thwarted most of its bids. Following a four-day-long fight, the Pakistani director general of military operations (DGMO) reached out to his Indian counterpart, resulting in a ceasefire understanding on October 10.
However, India took several tough measures against Pakistan after the April 22 attack, including the cancellation of visas for Pakistani nationals, suspension of the Indus Waters Treaty, and reduction of staff at the Pakistani High Commission in New Delhi.
The ties between the two countries have remained heated since.
Besides Chaturvedi, Sena UBT chief Uddhav Thackeray had appealed to the citizens to boycott the India vs Pakistan Asia Cup match, saying that New Delhi "should not maintain any relations" with Islamabad till the time terror stops.
AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi recalled Prime Minister Narendra Modi's words that "blood and water cannot flow together" and asked whether financial gains from a cricket match mattered more than the lives of 26 citizens.
However, BJP MP and former sports minister Anurag Thakur clarified that while India may face Pakistan in multinational tournaments, New Delhi's stance on bilateral cricket ties remains unchanged.
He said that India's participation in such matches is driven by tournament rules, not a shift in its diplomatic and national policies.
India vs Pakistan in Asia Cup
India played three matches against its archrival, Pakistan, in the Asia Cup tournament, winning all the games.
However, Team India maintained a firm stance on the tensions between New Delhi and Islamabad and refused to partake in any traditional customs of the tournament. Right from the beginning, the Indian players also refused to shake hands with their Pakistani opponents.
In all the matches, the group stage, Super 4, and the final, Indian players made their stand clear with their play.
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A row also erupted over the Indian cricketers' refusal to shake hands with the Pakistani players, with the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB) chairman and interior minister Mohsin Naqvi complaining to the International Cricket Council about Team India's 'behaviour'.
Team India continued to stand its ground in both the Super 4 and the final match.
Pakistani cricketers Sahibzada Farhan and Haris Rauf sparked controversy when they made hand gestures indicating AK-47 and jets being downed, respectively, during the match.
Farhan held up his bat, seemingly mimicking an AK-47 gun, to celebrate his half-century. Meanwhile, Haris Rauf responded to jeers from the crowd and lifted his fingers, indicating '0-6', a reference that, according to social media, was Islamabad's unsubstantiated claims of downing Indian fighter jets during the military conflict in May.
Their gestures drew the ire of Indian sportspersons as well as political leaders.
