The only chance for the nation is cricket. Keep politics out of it, Rashid Khan, Afghanistan’s most well-known cricketer, tweeted following Australia’s withdrawal from the March One-Day International (ODI) series against the south Asian country.
Khan, the T20 squad captain and the public face of Afghan cricket, wasn’t alone himself. Soon, a chorus of criticism of Australia’s choice to boycott the Afghan men’s squad emerged, including from other cricket players.
“I was shocked to learn that Australia had withdrawn from the series against us in March. We have made enormous strides on the international scene, and I take great delight in serving my country, said Khan in a statement on Thursday.
“This CA [Cricket Australia] decision sets us back in that road,” he declared.
Former Afghan cricket team captain Mohammad Nabi criticized the cancellation of the series that was scheduled to be played in Dubai.
He added that Afghan cricketers are role models and proud ambassadors of the cricketing fraternity and urged people to keep politics and sports apart.
Afghan fast bowler Naveen ul Haq Murid referred to canceling the series as “childish” and charged that instead of offering support, Australia had deprived Afghans of their main source of joy. Afghans shared their opinions through the hashtag #StopPoliticsinCricket, with some of them applauding the Australian decision.
The Australian Cricket Board stated that its choice was made in response to the Taliban’s recent announcement to further restrict women’s freedom. Last month, women were prohibited from attending universities and from working for nongovernmental organizations. Additionally, women are prohibited from completing sixth grade in school and from working the majority of jobs outside the home.
The board’s decision has the support of the Australian government.
Former president Hamid Karzai voiced his dismay that the Taliban have not yet released a statement.
“Disappointed with the Australian Cricket Board’s choice, especially in light of the difficulties the Afghan people endure. We continue to be tremendously proud of our National Cricket team and every one of our young athletes, he tweeted.
In a country torn apart by decades of conflict and occupation, cricket enjoys tremendous support. Cricket players and others have emphasized how the game has helped Afghans smile despite the country’s unrest and violence. In August 2021, after 20 years, the US-led foreign forces left Afghanistan, restoring the Taliban to power.
When Australia decided to cancel a one-off test match scheduled to take place in Hobart, Australia, in November 2021, they cited identical justifications.
The decision made by Cricket Australia was described by the Afghanistan Cricket Board as “the pitiful.” The International Cricket Council, the sport’s highest governing body, was promised to be contacted. The ICC has not yet responded to the situation.
It claimed that Cricket Australia undermined the integrity of the game by putting political considerations ahead of fair play and sportsmanship.
According to the board, “Cricket has significantly contributed to fostering national pride and solidarity in Afghanistan.”
“Cricket has aided in bringing people together and restoring a sense of normalcy to the nation after years of war and violence. For all Afghans, but especially for the younger generation, it has also been a significant source of inspiration and hope.
The Afghan cricketer Khan also hinted at leaving the Big Bash T20 League in Australia. Khan is a member of the Adelaide Strikers team.
“I wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence in the BBL if playing against Afghanistan is so uncomfortable for Australia. I shall therefore carefully assess my participation in that tournament going forward.
Australia defended their choice to cancel a cricket series with Afghanistan on Friday.
Nick Hockley, the CEO of Cricket Australia, said in a statement forwarded to AFP that “basic human rights is not politics.”
“This is undoubtedly a difficult and depressing scenario. This choice was not made lightly, according to Hockley.
He continued by saying that the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Cricket Australia were frequently in touch.
However, he added, “the Taliban’s declarations in late November and late December signaling a deterioration of fundamental human rights for women in Afghanistan led to our decision to withdraw from these events.”
We recognize and support Rashid Khan’s and other Afghan cricket players’ statements at the time denouncing the Taliban’s decision to prohibit women from attending institutions. Hockley made the comment in reference to Rashid, an Afghan cricketer who has made a public stand for women’s rights.
The cricket chief stated that Australia was dedicated to developing the sport for both sexes and expressed his hope that improved conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan would enable cricket between the two nations to resume “in the not-too-distant future.”
However, one of the Afghan women working to develop women’s cricket warned that additional nations may call off matches as a result of the boycott, according to SBS News, an Australian website. Former women’s cricket development manager for Afghanistan, Tuba Sangar, warned that Afghanistan risked losing its ICC membership if it took place.
Afghanistan did not “acquire the full membership [of the ICC] easily,” according to Sangar, speaking .
Ben Gardner, managing editor of wisden.com, questioned the Australian board’s choice, noting that Australia played Afghanistan in the T20 World Cup the previous year despite the Taliban’s September ban on women’s cricket.
He emphasized that despite Afghanistan’s lack of a women’s squad, the country received full ICC membership in 2017.
“This [boycott] denies Afghanistan’s cricket players a platform from which to voice their opinions. Their greatest cultural export is their cricket squad, according to Gardner’s essay.
