A night of devastation in Kabul has triggered one of the strongest collective responses yet from Afghanistan’s cricketing leadership, with the country’s biggest stars stepping beyond the sport to demand accountability.
Afghanistan cricketers, led by Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi, have publicly condemned a strike on a major hospital in the capital that reportedly left around 400 people dead and approximately 250 injured. The attack, which Afghan officials say occurred around 9 PM local time on March 16, hit the Omar Addiction Treatment Hospital — a 2,000-bed facility — during the holy month of Ramadan.
Rashid Khan, speaking on X, called for immediate international intervention, stating: “I am deeply saddened by the latest reports of civilian casualties as a result of Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul. Targeting civilian homes, educational facilities or medical infrastructure, either intentional or by mistake, is a war crime. The sheer disregard for human lives, especially during the holy month of Ramadan, is sickening and deeply concerning. It will only fuel division and hatred. I call upon the UN and other human rights agencies to thoroughly investigate this latest atrocity and hold the perpetrators to account. I stand with my Afghan people in this difficult time. We shall heal, and we will rise as a nation. We always do. Inshallah!”
I am deeply saddened by the latest reports of civilian casualties as a result of Pakistani airstrikes in Kabul. Targeting civilian homes, educational facilities or medical infrastructure, either intentional or by mistake, is a war crime. The sheer disregard for human lives,… pic.twitter.com/DbFRRh2qAJ
— Rashid Khan (@rashidkhan_19) March 16, 2026
Afghan players unite as reactions intensify
The response quickly extended beyond Rashid, with multiple members of Afghanistan’s national side using their platforms to express grief and anger as details of the incident emerged.
Veteran all-rounder Mohammad Nabi reflected on the human cost of the attack, writing on X: “Tonight in Kabul, hope was extinguished at a hospital,” before continuing, “Young men seeking treatment were murdered in a bombing by the Pakistani military regime. Mothers waited at the gates, calling their sons’ names. On the 28th night of Ramadan, their lives were cut short.”
Tonight in Kabul, hope was extinguished at a hospital. Young men seeking treatment were murdered in a bombing by the Pakistani military regime. Mothers waited at the gates, calling their sons’ names. On the 28th night of Ramadan, their lives were cut short. pic.twitter.com/p12617D4de
— Mohammad Nabi (@MohammadNabi007) March 16, 2026
Other Afghanistan players, including Noor Ahmad, Naveen-ul-Haq, and Ibrahim Zadran, also reacted publicly, highlighting the widespread impact of the incident across the cricketing community.
Tonight I heard a massive explosion here in Kabul. Moments later we saw flames rising into the sky from a hospital.
Our brothers who intended to fast tomorrow are now gone, or wounded. My thoughts are with every family grieving tonight.
Kabul is in pain. We pray for justice.
— Ibrahim Zadran (@IZadran18) March 16, 2026
The emotional reactions came as images and reports from Kabul showed extensive destruction at the hospital site, with rescue teams working through debris and flames overnight.
Kabul hospital strike details and casualty scale
According to Afghanistan’s Deputy Government Spokesperson Hamdullah Fitrat, the strike caused large-scale destruction at the facility, which serves as a key rehabilitation centre for drug addiction treatment.
Describing the aftermath, Fitrat said on X: “The hospital of hope that turned into a slaughterhouse of dreams.”
Afghan authorities reported that the death toll had reached 400, with roughly 250 others injured, making it one of the deadliest incidents in the capital in recent months. The strike’s timing during Ramadan has further intensified public outrage.
The incident comes amid escalating tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with clashes reigniting in late February following cross-border strikes that disrupted a Qatar-brokered ceasefire agreed in October. That earlier agreement had temporarily halted fighting that had already resulted in casualties among soldiers, civilians, and suspected militants.
Pakistan denies targeting civilian infrastructure
Pakistan has rejected allegations that civilian facilities were struck, maintaining that its operations were directed at security targets.
Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a statement on X: “The strikes carried out on the night of 16 March 2026 in Kabul and Nangarhar were precise, deliberate, and professional. No hospital, no drug rehabilitation centre, and no civilian facility was targeted.”
The Afghan Taliban regime is peddling yet another falsehood by alleging that Pakistan targeted a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul. This claim is entirely baseless.
Pakistan, in its ongoing war against terrorism, is engaging only those military and terrorist targets, along…
— Attaullah Tarar (@TararAttaullah) March 17, 2026
In an official statement, Pakistan’s Ministry of Information said the strikes “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure”.
The contrasting narratives have further complicated an already volatile situation, with calls growing for an independent international investigation into the incident.
