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Cricket Australia postpones Afghanistan test match

November 5, 2021

The board has maintained the Taliban must allow women to play the sport in order for the match against the men's team to go ahead.

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Afghanistan cricket team players board a bus from a local hotel to Islamabad Airport in full proof security.
Aghanistan's cricket team was due to play its first match against Australia on November 27Image: Hussain Ali/Pacific Press/picture alliance

Australia's cricket board said Friday it was going to postpone a test match against Afghanistan's men's team scheduled later in November.

Cricket Australia (CA) had already made clear in September it would not go ahead with the game if the Taliban didn't allow women to participate in the sport.

The Taliban have barred women from playing sports and imposed a series of restrictive rules that grossly curtail women's rights.

The cricket match, which was to be played in Hobart, the capital of the Australian island state of Tasmania, would have marked Australia's first ever test match against Afghanistan.

What Cricket Australia said about the match against Afghanistan

Australia's cricket board said in a statement that it arrived at the decision after "extensive deliberation" with all stakeholders, and that it hoped to play against both Afghan women's and men's teams "in the not too distant future."

"Cricket Australia is committed to support growing the game for women and men in Afghanistan and around the world," the board said.

It added that it felt it was necessary to postpone the match until a later date "when the situation is clearer."

The decision was welcomed by Tasmania's cricket board. Its head, Dominic Baker, released a statement saying international cricket matches remained a high priority for the state's board and that he would work closely with the Australian cricket board "on opportunities for our Tasmanian cricket fans for both this and future seasons."

Afghanistan batsman Karim Khan Sadeq executes a powerful shot for a boundary against Pakistan
Afghan players are expected to be allowed to play in the upcoming Big Bash League season in Australia.Image: Saeed Khan/AFP/Getty Images

What this means for Afghan players competing in Australia

CA also said that it was looking forward to welcoming players from Afghanistan in the upcoming domestic Twenty20 men's cricket competition.  

Known popularly by the acronym BBL, the Big Bash League entails teams, comprised of cricketers from around the world, playing against each other at matches at different venues across Australia.

"CA looks forward to hosting Afghanistan players in the BBL this season, who are great ambassadors for the game, and to hosting both the Afghanistan women's and men's team in the not too distant future."

Kabul under the Taliban

rm/rt (Reuters, AP)