Sarah Reid/Getty Images
Australia's Marcus Stoinis hits a sweep shot against Afghanistan in the 2022 ICC Men's T20 World Cup.
CNN
—
Australia will postpone its T20 series against Afghanistan, citing the worsening “situation of women and girls” in the country under Taliban rule, the country's national cricket body announced on Tuesday.
Afghanistan was to host the three consecutive matches scheduled for August, but all matches were played in the United Arab Emirates.
But Cricket Australia said the human rights situation for women and girls in Afghanistan led to the postponement.
“Over the past 12 months, CA has been consulting with the Australian Government on the situation in Afghanistan. The Government's recommendation is that the situation for women and girls in Afghanistan is deteriorating. “We maintain our previous position and postpone the bilateral series with Afghanistan,” the statement said.
“CA continues its strong commitment to supporting the participation of women and girls in cricket around the world and will continue to actively engage with the International Cricket Council and work closely with the Afghanistan Cricket Board. We will continue to determine what measures can be taken to support the resumption of bilateral matches in the future. ”
Asked for comment by CNN, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen in Doha questioned what he called CA's politicization of cricket.
“We separate politics from sports. Otherwise, [we] We all know about the atrocities committed by Australian soldiers who killed innocent children and women in Afghanistan. At that time, they forgot about women's rights,” Shaheen said.
“Now they raise this slogan when it's in their favor. Why didn't they say anything about women's rights? [the] When was it appropriate to play against Afghanistan in the World Cup? It's better for them not to mix politics and sports. Let the sport move forward in its own way, without obstacles. ”
In a statement posted online, the Afghanistan Cricket Board said it was “disappointed” by Australia's decision and “reiterates its stand for neutral and apolitical cricket around the world”. .
This is the third time Australia has chosen not to play a match against Afghanistan since the Taliban took control of the country in 2021.
A one-off Test match against Afghanistan, which was previously scheduled to be held in Hobart in November 2021, was called off, followed by a three-match ODI series scheduled to be held in the UAE in March 2023.
The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in 2021 after the United States' chaotic and controversial withdrawal from the country after nearly two decades of fighting.
The regime immediately restricted women and girls' participation in sports and also limited their opportunities in many other areas of life.
Following the Taliban takeover, many of the country's professional female athletes fled Afghanistan to pursue their sporting careers, with national team soccer and cricket players risking death for Australia.
Afghanistan is the only full member of the International Cricket Council (ICC) without a women's team. ICC CEO Geoff Allardyce told the BBC last year that despite not having a women's team, the Afghanistan Cricket Board still received the full amount awarded for Test membership. Ta.
“We have spoken to the Afghanistan Cricket Board and their position is that they have to operate within the laws of Afghanistan and the rules set by the government, and it's really not for the ICC board to do so. The question is, “Do we support the activities of our members?'' Is there an ability to promote cricket within the rules set by the country's government? 'And the answer is yes.'
When the Taliban, the Islamic extremist group that ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s, came to power in 2021, they initially presented themselves as a more moderate version of what had been their previous position, with plans for women to continue to receive education through university. He even promised to admit it.
However, crackdowns have since tightened and girls' junior high schools have been closed. Ban women from attending university and working for NGOs, including the United Nations. Restrict unaccompanied male travel. Prohibit entry to public places such as parks and gyms.
Their actions caused serious mental health damage in the country, leading to depression and suicide, especially among teenage girls who had no access to education, according to a United Nations report released last year and compiled a week later. has been widely reported. Extended visit to Afghanistan.
