Afghanistan Cricket Board reappoints Azizullah Fazli as chairman amid Taliban takeover

The turmoil in Afghanistan gets worse by the day as the Taliban reportedly barged into the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) headquarters in Kabul on Sunday. They were accompanied by former Afghanistan cricketer Abdullah Mazari. In a meeting that shortly followed, Azizullah Fazli was reappointed as the ACB chairman.

Azizullah Fazli reappointed as Afghanistan Cricket Board chairman

As per a Tweet released by the Afghanistan Cricket Board on Sunday, Azizullah Fazli has been reappointed as the ACB chairman. Since an armed Taliban stormed into the ACB headquarters, it raises severe concerns about the trajectory of the sport in the country. However, as quoted by PTI, ACB president Hamid Shinwari insisted that the Islamist organization loved the sport and that there was no threat to the game despite the Taliban taking over the capital city of Kabul.

Shinwari said, "Taliban loves cricket. They have supported us since the beginning. They did not interfere in our activities. I don't see any interference and expect support so that our cricket can move forward. We have got an active chairman. I remain CEO until further notice. It can be said that cricket flourished during the Taliban era. It is also a fact that many of our players practised in Peshawar, and they made the sport mainstream in Afghanistan."

Afghanistan Cricket under threat as Taliban takes over

Even though Afghanistan Cricket Board CEO Hamid Shinwari insists that cricket will not be affected in the country as a result of the Taliban take over, concerns persist. The concerns are greater for women's cricket because the Islamist organization is known to have brutally suppressed women's rights in the past. Taliban believe in imposing a strict Sharia law that could significantly curtail the freedom of women in the country. Experts believe that the central contracts offered to 25 women players last year will be under threat because of the Islamist Organization's oppressive regime.

Meanwhile, even for men's cricket, uncertainty and panic exist in the war-torn country. Afghanistan is scheduled to play a three-match ODI series against Pakistan in Sri Lanka with the squad set to depart within the next four days. It remains to be seen whether the series will take place amidst the turmoil. Meanwhile, Afghanistan cricket stars such as Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi are also due to feature in the upcoming IPL 2021 before taking part in the subsequent T20 World Cup.