ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has strongly rejected what it called the “selective, biased, and premature” remarks of the International Cricket Council (ICC) over claims that three Afghan cricketers were killed in an airstrike.
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar, in a statement posted on X, said the ICC had advanced a disputed allegation without presenting any independent verification or credible evidence.
“Pakistan, a prime victim of cross-border terrorism, categorically rejects this characterization and demands the ICC to immediately correct its claim,” Tarar stated.
He expressed concern over what he described as a “troubling pattern” of amplification of unverified claims, noting that within hours of the ICC’s statement, its Chair Jay Shah echoed the same claim on X, followed by the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) issuing a similar statement. “This sequencing seems designed to create an echo chamber,” he added.
The minister said this episode was part of a recurring pattern of avoidable controversies under the ICC’s current leadership, which he claimed had disproportionately targeted Pakistan cricket. He referred to the recent “handshake controversy” during the Asia Cup as another example that undermined trust in the ICC’s neutrality.
Tarar stressed that politics must not be allowed to contaminate sports, particularly cricket. He urged the ICC to avoid endorsing unverified claims, refrain from serving the political agendas of certain actors, and uphold impartiality regardless of the nationality of its office-bearers.
“Pakistan expects the ICC, led by its current Chair from India, to restore its neutrality, uphold fair play, and distance itself from narratives linked to violent extremists,” the minister concluded.
