Afghanistan cricket star Rashid Khan on Sunday, October 8 said he would be donating all his match fees from the Cricket World Cup to help the victims of the deadly earthquakes that shook Afghanistan over the weekend. Rashid Khan said he learned about the tragedy while in India for his World Cup duty.
Rashid Khan, who has always been vocal about the wellbeing of his compatriots, came with up with an emotional post on social media even as over 2000 people in Afghanistan have lost their lives due to the earthquakes.
“I learned with great sadness about the tragic consequences of the earthquake that struck the western provinces (Herat, Farah, and Badghis) of Afghanistan.
I am donating all of my #CWC23 match fees to help the affected people. Soon, we will be launching a fundraising campaign to call upon those who can support the people in need,” Rashid Khan said in post on X.
On October 8, 2023, a devastating earthquake of magnitude 6.3 struck western Afghanistan, causing widespread destruction and loss of life. The epicenter of the quake was located 35 kilometers northwest of the city of Herat, one of the most populous cities in the country. The tremors were so powerful that they were followed by eight strong aftershocks, further exacerbating the damage.
The earthquake resulted in catastrophic loss of life and property. According to the Taliban administration, more than 2,000 people lost their lives, making it one of the deadliest earthquakes to hit the mountainous nation in recent years. In addition to the fatalities, over 9,000 individuals were injured, and more than 1,300 houses were either damaged or completely destroyed. The death toll is expected to rise as rescue operations continue and more bodies are recovered from the rubble.
The quake’s impact was not limited to Herat province alone. It was felt in neighboring provinces of Badghis and Farah, where significant damage was reported. The UN’s Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimated that around 4,200 people (600 families) were affected by the disaster. Many survivors were displaced and had to seek refuge in abandoned buildings in Herat City.
Rashid Khan played his first World Cup 2023 match on Saturday in Dharamsala. Afghanistan were handed a 6-wicket defeat by Bangladesh in their opening match. Rashid managed just 9 with the bat and went wicketless as Bangladesh comfortably chased down a 157-run target.
Afghanistan will next face India on October 11 at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi.
