Afghan Rashid Khan mourns Jalalabad victims

New Delhi, May 20

Rashid Khan, the Afghanistan leg-spinner who has starred for Sunrisers Hyderabad in IPL 2018, has been left devastated by the blasts in his hometown Jalalabad during a cricket match in which eight people were killed and over 45 wounded.

The terror attack took place in the home city of the world’s No. 1 T20 bowler Rashid, who has taken 16 wickets from 14 matches in the current IPL season. The blasts occurred among the spectators in a stadium around 11PM on Friday evening during the local Ramadan Cup. Among those killed was Hedayatullah Zahir, who had organised the tournament with an aim to “demolish insurgency darkness with peace”.

“You will be missed bro #RIP you did lots of hard work always tried to make Nangarhar shining City,” Rashid wrote on Twitter in a tribute to Zahir.

Afghanistan opener batsman Karim Sadiq, who was at the venue of the match, escaped unhurt in the attack and was reported to have carried wounded people for treatment. Afghanistan Cricket Board chief executive Shafiq Stanikzai also condemned the attacks. “I strongly condemn the attacks last night during a local cricket tournament in Jalalabad, Nangarhar,” Stanikzai wrote on Twitter. “Cricket has been a source of happiness and pride for all Afghans, it has played a key role in bringing peace and uniting people. These attacks are against peace, unity and humanity.”

Former Pakistan captain Imran Khan posted on Twitter: “Condemn the terrorist attack in Jalalabad on a cricket ground while match was in progress last night. It is sad that the emerging Afghan cricketers, who have brought so much joy to their war-torn country, are being targeted.”

The Afghanistan national team will play India in Bengaluru from June 14 in their inaugural Test match. — TNS, agencies