International
Rashid Khan asks BBL franchises to also patronise Afghanistan batters; says they are among the best

Charismatic Afghanistan leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who is in the ‘Platinum Category’ for the Big Bash League (BBL) Player Draft on August 28, has raised the pitch for his country’s batters to be given a chance to play in the lucrative Australian domestic T20 tournament, saying he would be “happy” if they are provided the opportunity.
Afghanistan spinners such as Rashid Khan, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Mohammad Nabi may be household names but their batters hardly figure in the several domestic T20 leagues across the world, and Rashid Khan says they need to be given an opportunity as there are several young power-hitters waiting to get noticed.
An army of Afghanistan cricketers is enrolled for the BBL Draft with the likes of Rashid Khan, Qais Ahmad, Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb ur Rahman and Zahir Khan eligible for retention by various franchises, while several others, including Noor Ahmad, Ijaz Ahmadzai, Zia ur Rehman, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Shafiqullah Ghafari, Usman Ghani, among others, being the other nominees in the list of more than 250 cricketers from 19 countries in the Draft.
A report in cricket.com.au said that nominations had been received from 27 Afghan players for the BBL-12 Draft.
Rashid said not just the country’s spinners but the batters too had the talent and the skills, and all they needed were opportunities. “I would be happier to see the batsmen rather than the bowlers,” he told cricket.com.au. “We have so many bowlers playing all around the world, but I would be so happy if our batsman took that responsibility to play in all the leagues.
“That might help them improve their cricket and it’d be a very good thing for Afghanistan cricket. Once they get that opportunity, they have performed really well in the past when some players have played in the Pakistan Super League. If they get that proper opportunity, they can show to the world how good they are,” the 23-year-old spinner added.
He said big-hitting openers Hazratullah Zazai and Rahmanullah Gurbaz were top of the list of batters. Zazai has the second-highest score of all-time in T20Is behind Australia skipper Aaron Finch’s 172 against Zimbabwe. The young southpaw smashed an unbeaten 162 off just 62 balls against Ireland in 2019. His knock was embellished with 11 fours and 16 maximums, the record in T20Is for an individual innings. The 24-year-old has scored 2,522 T20 runs at a strike rate of 145 in 82 matches in the Pakistan, Sri Lankan and Bangladesh leagues.
Gurbaz, on the other hand, has a T20 ton to his name, scoring an unbeaten 121 for Kabul Eagles in this year’s Shpageeza Cricket League in Afghanistan.
“They are very destructive batters, especially in the short format,” said Rashid. “They’ve done so well so far and if they get the opportunity, I’m pretty sure they’re going to deliver their best.”
International
UNSC asks all countries to cooperate in bringing Pahalgam terrorists, backers to justice

United Nations, April 26: The Security Council has “condemned in the strongest terms” the Pahalgam terrorist attack and urged all countries to cooperate in bringing all those involved in the massacre, to justice.
The members of the Security Council “stressed that those responsible for these killings should be held accountable, and urged all States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant Security Council resolutions, to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard”, Council President Jerome Bonnafont said in a Press statement on Friday.
A front organisation of the Pakistan-based terrorist group Laskhar-e-Tayiba has owned responsibility for the attack.
The statement issued by France’s Permanent Representative Bonnafont who is the Council president for this month, took a broad view of those involved in the massacre by including the financiers and sponsors.
“The members of the Security Council underlined the need to hold perpetrators, organisers, financiers and sponsors of this reprehensible act of terrorism accountable and bring them to justice”, the statement said.
Pakistan, which is on the Council as an elected member, went along with the other members in endorsing the statement, committing itself – at least on paper – to bringing those involved to justice.
A Press statement expresses the consensus of the Council and carries moral authority, while not being legally binding like a resolution.
The statement also shot down the attempts by some in Pakistan to give terrorist attacks a veneer of justification.
“The members of the Security Council reiterated that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivation, wherever, whenever and by whomsoever committed”, it said.
The Council members “reaffirmed the need for all States to combat by all means, in accordance with the Charter of the United Nations and other obligations under international law, including international human rights law, international refugee law and international humanitarian law, threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts”, the statement added.
Earlier, the spokesperson for Secretary-General Antonio Guterres hinted that a diplomatic effort by him may be afoot.
Asked by a reporter, if Guterres would speak to leaders of India and Pakistan, Spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said that he hoped to have something to share on that later.
Reiterating the condemnation of the terrorist attacks, Dujarric said, “We again urge both the Government of India and the Government of Pakistan to exercise maximum restraint to ensure the situation does not deteriorate further.”
When a reporter asserted that the possibility that “two nuclear countries” might “go to war” was getting insufficient attention, Dujarric said, “I don’t agree with your comment. We are paying very close attention to the situation between India and Pakistan.”
International
Wagah-Attari border closure leaves several families in limbo

Islamabad, April 25: Pakistan and India’s decision to shut down the Wagah-Attari border crossing after the deadly Pahalgam terror attack has forced several citizens from both countries to cut short their visit and rush back home.
On Thursday, after both countries announced closure of border crossing and gave a deadline for citizens to leave for their respective countries, at least 28 Pakistanis nationals returned from India while 105 Indian citizens in Pakistan crossed over into India.
A Hindu family from Balochistan’s Sibi was reportedly denied entry into India after the closure of border crossing.
“We were on our way to Indore in Madhya Pradesh to attend a wedding. Seven members of our family were excited to join our relatives in India and take part in the celebrations. But upon reaching Wagah, we learned that the border had been sealed. We will spend the night at Dera Sahib in Lahore and head back home tomorrow,” said Akshay Kumar.
Meanwhile, a Sikh family from India, in Pakistan to attend a wedding, decided to leave for India immediately.
“We had come to Pakistan for a wedding. While the ceremony took place, several important rituals remained. Once we heard the border was closed, we decided to return immediately,” said Raminder Singh, an Indian national.
A Hindu family from Ghotki in Pakistan’s Sindh province, now residing in New Delhi, was visiting Pakistan for the last two months to meet their relatives. However, they are now unsure about getting permission to return to India.
“There are five of us, including my young son and daughter, uncle and aunt. We all hold Pakistani passports and were granted No Obligation to Return to India (NORI) certificate by India. But uncertainty looms now, said a family member named Indira.
“Families with cross-border ties often bear the brunt of rising tensions between the two neighbours. With tensions between Pakistan and India once again on the rise, human connections across borders are becoming the first casualty,” said Asif Memood, a Lahore-based journalist.
“The closure of the Wagah-Attari border has left many families in limbo, uncertain when they will next reunite with their loved ones,” he added.
International
Murder of Hindu leader: India slams Bangladesh, says killing follows pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities

New Delhi, April 19: India on Saturday issued a sharp condemnation of the abduction and brutal killing of Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a prominent Hindu community leader in northern Bangladesh, calling it part of a “pattern of systematic persecution” of minorities under the country’s interim government.
Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal voiced India’s grave concern, stating that the incident reflects an alarming trend of targetted violence against Hindus and other minority groups in Bangladesh.
“We have noted with distress the abduction and brutal killing of Shri Bhabesh Chandra Roy, a Hindu minority leader in Bangladesh. This killing follows a pattern of systematic persecution of Hindu minorities under the interim government, even as the perpetrators of previous such events roam with impunity,” Jaiswal said in a post on social media platform X.
He added, “We condemn this incident and once again remind the interim government to live up to its responsibility of protecting all minorities, including Hindus, without inventing excuses or making distinctions.”
India has previously expressed similar concerns over rising attacks on minorities in Bangladesh, but this latest incident has drawn particular attention due to Roy’s prominence in the Hindu community.
Roy, who served as the Vice-President of the Biral unit of the Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad, was abducted from his residence in Dinajpur district on Thursday evening. According to police and family accounts, he received a phone call around 4:30 p.m., after which four unidentified men arrived on motorcycles and forcibly took him to Narabari village. He was reportedly assaulted and later found unconscious. He was rushed to a hospital in Dinajpur, where he was declared dead on arrival. His wife, Shantana Roy believes the attackers used the call to confirm his location before carrying out the abduction.
Opposition leaders in India also slammed the shocking incident in the neighbouring country.
Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge highlighted that religious minorities, especially Hindus, are being persecuted in Bangladesh.
“Attacks on other religious minorities are also continuing. Recently, the Chief Advisor of Bangladesh made a very condemnable and disappointing comment about the northeastern states of India. The persecution of religious minorities in Bangladesh, human rights violations, and the attempt to erase the memories of the 1971 Liberation War are efforts to weaken the relationship between India and Bangladesh. From 1971 till today, India has always wished for peace and prosperity for all the people of Bangladesh. This is in the best interest of the subcontinent,” he said.
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