Cricket Australia has once again postponed the men’s national team’s scheduled Twenty20 series against Afghanistan due to the Taliban’s repression of women
Kangaroos were scheduled to play T20 against Afghanistan in August this year in UAE, but after talks with the Australian government, the series has been cancelled.
In a statement, Cricket Australia mentioned the deteriorating human rights conditions for women & girls under Taliban government.
Earlier, Cricket Australia cancelled Test match against Afghanistan scheduled for November 2021 & withdrew from a three-match ODI series planned for March 2023 in the UAE.
The Australian authorities reiterated commitment to supporting women & girls’ participation in cricket globally & expressed willingness to work with the Afghanistan Cricket Board & the ICC to explore ways to resume bilateral matches in the future.
As of 2024, Afghanistan remains only ICC full member nation without women’s cricket team. Following the Taliban takeover, many Afghanistan women’s cricketers fled to Australia.
The cancellation of previous ODI series triggered backlash from Afghanistan’s star player, Rashid Khan, who threatened to boycott BBL. Despite the postponements, Australia has continued to play against Afghanistan at ICC events, including the 2023 men’s ODI World Cup in India.
