Australia To Cancel Men's Cricket Test Match With Afghanistan If Women's Team Cannot Play

Afghan Women Cricket Team: After Taliban made statements about the possible ban on women playing sports in Afghanistan, the Cricket Australia (CA) said that it will cancel its men's Test match with Afghanistan if women's team cannot play under Taliban rule.

The International Cricket Council on Wednesday expressed concerns over the recent statement given by Taliban cultural commission deputy head Ahmadullah Wasiq. While talking to a Australian news channel, Wasiq had said, "I don't think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play. In cricket, they might face a situation where their face and body will not be covered. Islam does not allow women to be seen like this."

The Australian cricket association has said that they unequivocally support women players. Their statement read, "If recent media reports that women's cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan for the proposed test match due to be played in Hobart."

Australia was going to schedule a match with against Afghanistan from November 26 before the Ashes series with England. As per reports, the men's cricket team of Afghanistan has all the support from Taliban but their stance on women's team playing matches in future has been made clear. As per the rules of International Cricket Council, all 12 members ( 12 countries) must have a national women's team to play test cricket.

The ICC came out with its statement which read that the organisation "is committed to the long-term growth of women's cricket and despite the cultural and religious challenges in Afghanistan, steady progress had been made in this area since Afghanistan's admission as a full member in 2017".

"The ICC has been monitoring the changing situation in Afghanistan and is concerned to note recent media reports that women will no longer be allowed to play cricket.

The statement added that the matter will be discussed in the next ICC board meeting as it can have major impact on the development of cricket.

Earlier this week on Tuesday, the Taliban announced a new government in Afghanistan. The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive Hamid Shinwari told Reuters, "So far, we don't have any news from the government."