Monitoring Desk
CANBERRA: Australian men’s cricket team has cancelled matches against Afghanistan over the Taliban administration’s restrictions on the freedoms of women and girls in the country.
Australia and Afghanistan were due to play a series of three one-day international (ODI) matches in the UAE in March this year.
However, Cricket Australia said that the series would no longer take place following consultations with stakeholders, including the Australian government.
“This decision follows the latest announcement by the Taliban administration of further restrictions on women’s and girls’ education and employment opportunities and their ability to access parks and gyms,” it said in a statement.
“Cricket Australia is committed to supporting the game for men and women worldwide, including in Afghanistan.
“We will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in anticipation of improved conditions for girls and women in the country,” it added while thanking Canberra for its support.
The ruling Taliban government announced in late December that it was banning female students from universities in Afghanistan after a U-turn on opening all middle and high schools to girls.
ODI series between Afghanistan and Australia
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration continuing lack of commitment to women’s cricket has also become a “concern” for the ICC as the global body prepares to organize its first Under-19 Women’s T20 World Cup.
Afghanistan is the only Full Member team not to be represented at the event in South Africa, in which 16 teams are participating.
Well over a year after the Taliban return to power in Afghanistan, women’s cricket has not made any headway at all in Afghanistan, and signs are that it will not in the near future, compelling the ICC to take up the matter at its next board meeting in March.
