Islamabad: Pakistan has rejected the International Cricket Council’s selective, biased, and premature comment regarding the death of three ‘Afghan cricketers’ in an ‘airstrike’.
According to Radio Pakistan, Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar expressed that Pakistan, a prime victim of cross-border terrorism, dismisses the ICC’s comment that advances a disputed allegation as established, concerning the deaths of the cricketers. The minister emphasized that the ICC cited no independent verification to substantiate these claims, and Pakistan strongly contests the characterization, calling for an immediate correction.
The Information Minister highlighted a troubling pattern of amplification without evidence gathering. He noted that within hours of the ICC’s release, its Chair, Jay Shah, echoed the same claims on social media platform X. Subsequently, the Afghanistan Cricket Board posted a statement along similar lines, explicitly invoking the ICC’s claim rather than providing details or proof.
Attaullah Tarar described this sequence as an attempt to create an ostensible echo chamber. He mentioned that this incident follows a recurring pattern of controversies under the ICC’s current leadership, which have disproportionately affected Pakistan cricket. This includes the recent ‘handshake controversy’ that delayed Pakistan’s Asia Cup fixture until a resolution was found.
The minister clarified that such incidents have eroded confidence in the ICC’s neutrality. He stated that a global regulator must not appear to push any biased narrative or allow match-management controversies to recur. Pakistan consistently maintains that politics should not contaminate sport, particularly cricket, and urges the ICC to uphold its independence and the spirit of the game.
Attaullah Tarar urged the ICC to abstain from definitive attributions, avoid certifying unverified claims at the behest of others, refrain from enabling certain actors to gain political mileage, and uphold even-handed standards regardless of office-bearers’ nationality. He expects the ICC, led by its current Chair from India, to restore neutrality, adhere to international standards of fair play, and address the potential precedent of involving a sport regulator in narratives linked to violent extremists.