Tarar says cricket governing body must remain impartial, avoid political entanglements
Minister of Information, Attaullah Tarar. PHOTO: FILE
Information Minister Atta Tarar has categorically rejected the International Cricket Council’s (ICC) “selective, biased and premature” statement on the death of three Afghan cricketers, which claimed they were killed in an “airstrike in Paktika”.
The Afghanistan Cricket Board, in a statement, said three local cricketers were killed in a military strike in Paktika province and announced its withdrawal from next month’s tri-national series with Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
Later, in a statement, the ICC condemned the attack, saying it stood in solidarity with the ACB and shared its grief. “The ICC is deeply saddened and dismayed by the tragic death of three young and promising Afghan cricketers, Kabeer Agha, Sibghatullah and Haroon, who lost their lives in a recent airstrike in Afghanistan’s Paktika province,” the world cricket governing body said in a statement.
Learn more: Three Afghan cricketers killed in attack: cricket board
“The ICC strongly condemns this act of violence which has devastated the families, communities and the world of cricket of three brilliant talents whose only ambition was to play the sport they loved.”
The unsubstantiated and one-sided statement prompted the Minister of Information to respond, calling it a “selective, biased and premature” remark that promotes a disputed allegation.
Pakistan, the first victim of cross-border terrorism, rejects the ICC’s selective, biased and premature comment which advances a disputed allegation, as established, that three “Afghan cricketers” died in an “air strike”. The ICC has cited no independent verification to support…
– Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) October 18, 2025
“Pakistan, the first victim of cross-border terrorism, rejects the ICC comment which advances a disputed allegation,” Tarar said in a post on X.
He said the ICC has not cited any independent verification to support these claims, saying Pakistan strongly rejects this characterization, disputes the ICC’s claims and calls for immediate correction.
He added that the ICC’s handling of the case reflected a broader pattern of “amplification without evidence” and “narrative manipulation.”
Read also: Dozens killed in “precision strikes” against “Kharji Gul Bahadur camps in Paktika”: officials
“We see a troubling pattern of amplification without any attempt to collect evidence,” he said. “Within hours of the ICC’s release, its chairman, Jay Shah, publicly echoed the same claim about
The minister also spoke about what he described as India’s attempts to influence the administration of cricket, citing previous controversies involving Pakistan.
“This episode follows a series of avoidable controversies under the current ICC leadership that have disproportionately attempted to affect Pakistan cricket – including the recent ‘handshake controversy’ which delayed Pakistan’s Asia Cup match until a resolution is reached,” Tarar said, adding: “These incidents have eroded confidence in the neutrality of the ICC.”
He stressed that the ICC must maintain its impartiality and refrain from political involvement. “A global regulator must not appear to be promoting biased discourse,” he said. “Pakistan has always maintained that politics should not contaminate sport, especially cricket, and urges the ICC to uphold its independence and the spirit of the game.”
The minister concluded by saying that Pakistan expected the ICC “to restore its neutrality, international standards of fair play and impartial conduct, and address the dangerous precedent of implicating a global sports regulator in narratives linked to violent extremists.”
