Australia Delays T20I Series Against Afghanistan Due to Bad Conditions of Afghan Women
This is the third time Australia has denied to play Afghanistan.
Cricket Australia postponed a three-match T20 International series against Afghanistan’s men’s team in August, due to concerns over deteriorating conditions for women and girls in the country.
Since the Taliban regained control in Afghanistan, they have placed limits on girls attending high schools, prevented women from accessing universities, and halted female Afghan aid workers from their duties.
CA’s decision to postpone the upcoming series reflects its consistent tough stance towards the South Asian country.
Earlier, CA scrapped a lone Test against Afghanistan in Hobart in November 2021, and then postponed a three-match ODI series in the UAE.
“Over the past twelve months, CA has continued to consult with the Australian Government on the situation in Afghanistan. The government’s advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse. For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan,” read a statement from CA.
“We will continue to actively engage the International Cricket Council and work closely with the Afghanistan Cricket Board to determine what actions could be taken to support the resumption of bilateral matches in the future,” the statement added.
This marks the third occasion Cricket Australia has opted not to play against Afghanistan since the Taliban assumed control of the conflict-ridden nation in September 2021, enforcing limitations on women’s involvement in sports.
