Not Cricketers, Afghan Volleyball players were shot dead

The cruel killing of five Afghan sportsmen by a suspected Taliban gunman drew attention all around the world. First the news reports said that they were playing cricket but later the Afghan media confirmed that they are NOT cricketers but they were players practising Volleyball in Eastern Laghman province in Afghanistan on Thursday.

When the news broke on Friday, saying a group of cricketers shot dead, the news went viral in social media. But a spokesman for the governor of Laghman province, confirmed that there had been initial confusion, because gunmen targeted an area used for both cricket and volleyball.

"At first,the local officials told me they were cricketers, but when I checked with them yesterday evening they said in fact they were volleyball players," Sarhadi Zawak said by phone from Laghman.

The Afghan Cricket team has had several years of inspiring success, beating regional opponents qualified for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015.

Volleyball, although traditionally popular in Afghan, but is far less high-profile and it seems sad that should make its players' lives less important.