Cricket Australia to not host men's team if ‘women's cricket not supported in Afghanistan’

The Australia vs Afghanistan one-off Test match in November is likely to be called off by Cricket Australia if women are not allowed to play the sport under the Taliban regime. Australia and Afghanistan's men's team were scheduled to face each other in their maiden Test at Hobart's Blundstone Arena from November 27. Earlier reports had emerged about Taliban bans women cricket under the new government. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) was all set to launch its first women's national team but the plans took a backseat after the Taliban's recent statement on women in sports.

Cricket Australia to cancel Australia vs Afghanistan test 

According to the report by Espncricinfo several Australian politicians, including Australia sports minister Richard Colbeck, said that the Test match would not be able to go ahead with such restrictions in female participation. Cricket Australia in it's statement said, "Driving the growth of women's cricket globally is incredibly important to Cricket Australia. Our vision for cricket is that it is a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level. If recent media reports that women's cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan for the proposed Test Match due to be played in Hobart. We thank the Australian and Tasmanian Governments for their support on this important issue."

The Australian Cricketers Association (ACA) also issued a statement "unequivocally" endorsing CA's stance.

The statement said, "What is happening now in Afghanistan is a human rights issue that transcends the game of cricket. And while we would love to see players such as Rashid Khan play against Australia, hosting this Test Match cannot be considered if that same opportunity to play the game is denied to Roya Samim and her team-mates."

Taliban bans women cricket?

The Guardian in its recent report has said that the deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq in an interview with the Australian broadcaster SBS, said women’s sport was considered neither appropriate nor necessary. He said, 

“I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play cricket,” Wasiq said. “In cricket, they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this. It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it. Islam and the Islamic Emirate [Afghanistan] do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed.”