The Australian men’s team was due to face their Afghan counterparts in three matches as part of the ICC Super League in March after touring India.
SYDNEY: Australia pulled out of the upcoming one-day series against Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates on Thursday, citing moves by the Taliban to further curtail women’s rights.
The men’s team was scheduled to take on their Afghan counterparts in three matches, part of the ICC Super League, in March after a tour of India.
But Cricket Australia said it would no longer take place after consultation with stakeholders, including the Australian government.
“This conclusion follows the Taliban’s recent statement of further limitations on women and girls’ education and employment opportunities and their ability to access parks and gyms,” the statement said.
“CA is committed to supporting the growth of the game for women and men around the world, including Afghanistan.
“(We will) continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of better conditions for women and girls in the country,” she added while thanking Canberra for its support.
Australia will lose 30 competition points for the series to advance to World Cup qualification. But they have already secured automatic qualification for the 50+ tournament in India in October.
The Taliban regained control of the Asian nation in mid-2021 and immediately imposed restrictions on women’s participation in sports.
The Taliban have also banned teenage girls from secondary schools and banned women from universities last month, sparking global outrage.
Recently, women have been told they can no longer work in the Afghan humanitarian sector. Women were also forced out of many government jobs, prevented from traveling without a male relative, and ordered to cover themselves outside the home, ideally with a burqa.
