After Australia pulled out of an upcoming series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, citing moves by the Taliban to further restrict women’s rights, the country’s cricketers have reacted violently. The men’s side were due to play their Afghan counterparts in three ODI matches after a trip to India in March. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in Kabul described Australia’s decision as “pathetic”. “The decision to withdraw … is unfair and unexpected and will have negative repercussions,” the ACB said in a statement, which made no mention of the shrinking of women’s rights in Afghanistan or the Taliban’s ban on women’s sports.
Afghanistan’s star cricketer Rashid Khan has also reacted violently. “Crickets! The only hope for the country. Keep politics out. @CricketAus @BBL @ACBofficials,” he tweeted, along with a photo that had the following caption.
“I’m really disappointed to hear that Australia have pulled out of the series to face us in March. I am very proud to represent my country and we have made great strides on the world stage. This decision by CA takes us back on this journey. If Australia is so uncomfortable playing Afghanistan then I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence in the BBL. Therefore, I will consider my future in this competition very much.”
The ACB said it would approach the International Cricket Council and was considering withdrawing its players from Australia’s Big Bash League in retaliation. Cricket Australia (CA) said its decision was taken after discussions with interested parties, which included the Australian Government.
“This decision follows the Taliban’s recent announcement of further restrictions on women’s and girls’ education and employment opportunities, as well as their access to parks and gyms,” the statement said. “CA is committed to supporting the growth of the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan.
“(We) will continue to work with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of better conditions for women and girls in the country,” it said.
The games against Afghanistan were part of the ICC Super League. Australia loses 30 match points for series going into World Cup qualifiers
However, they have already automatically qualified for the 50-over tournament in India later this year. Afghan ODI and Test captain Hashmatullah Shahidi said “fans and people in Afghanistan who have suffered immensely from conflict… don’t want politics brought into the sport”.
“Cricket is the country’s most popular sport and one of the main sources of happiness,” he said on Twitter, urging CA to reconsider its decision.
“Only Reason for Happiness”
Pace bowler Naveen-ul-Haq has previously suggested he would retire from the Big Bash League, where he plays for the Sydney Sixers.
“When a country goes through so much instead of supporting it, you want to take away their only reason for happiness,” he tweeted. The Taliban regained control of Kabul in August 2021 and quickly began restricting women’s participation in sports.
The uncompromising Islamists initially promised a softer approach than during their first term from 1996 to 2001, a period notorious for abuses such as public executions and floggings. They have gradually reintroduced extreme interpretations of Islamic law, or Sharia, and women have seen their rights evaporate as they were ousted from public life.
The Taliban banned teenage girls from secondary school and last month banned women from universities, sparking global outrage and protests in some Afghan cities. Then, late last month, they decreed that Afghan women could no longer work for NGOs at a time when Afghanistan is facing one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises, with 38 million children starving and three million at risk of malnutrition.
Most women government employees have lost their jobs. Women are also not allowed to travel without a male relative and have been told to cover themselves with a burqa or hijab when outside the home. In November, women were also banned from parks, amusement parks, gyms and public baths.
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