Cricket Australia has announced it has withdrawn from the upcoming ICC Super League three-match Men’s One Day International series between Australia and Afghanistan, due to the Taliban’s treatment of women.
This decision follows the recent announcement by the Taliban of further restrictions on women’s and girls’ education and employment opportunities and their ability to access parks and gyms.
Cricket Australia said the decision was made after “extensive consultation with relevant stakeholders, including the Australian Government”.
“CA is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan, and will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country,” Cricket Australia said in a statement.
“We thank the Australian Government for its support on this matter.”
The series was scheduled for March 2023, in the United Arab Emirates.
The cancellation of the series comes after Australia cited similar reasons for scrapping a one-off Test against Afghanistan that had been set to be played in Hobart in November 2021.
In December, the Taliban banned women from completing higher education, having prohibited attendance at gyms and parks a month earlier.
According to the United Nations, women are also banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade and working most jobs outside of their homes.
In November 2021, the ICC formed a working group aiming to support and review women’s and men’s cricket in Afghanistan but more than a year later, the country remains the only full member of the ICC without a fully operational women’s team.
ICC CEO Geoff Allardice said this week that recent crackdowns were worrying.
“Our board has been monitoring progress since the change of regime,” he said.
“It is a concern that progress is not being made in Afghanistan and it’s something our board will consider at its next meeting in March.”
