Afghanistan’s cricket authorities have pleaded with Australia and other national teams not to shun them over the suggestion from the country’s new Taliban rulers that women could be banned from the sport.
A Taliban representative said on Wednesday that he didn’t think women would be allowed to play cricket because it was “not necessary” and that it would be against Islam if women players were put in a situation where their faces and bodies might be “uncovered”.
In response, Cricket Australia (CA) has said it would scrap the Test against the Afghanistan men’s team, scheduled in Hobart in November, if the Taliban didn’t allow women to play the sport.
Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) chief executive Hamid Shinwari issued a statement on Friday expressing the board’s “shock and immense disappointment” at the Australian stance, which he called a “knee-jerk reaction”.
“The ACB is powerless to change the culture and religious environment of Afghanistan,” Shinwari said in the statement, which began with the exhortation “Keep the Door Open for Us! Walk with us!”
“We are concerned that, if other countries’ cricket administrators follow CA, then Afghan cricket will be alienated from the cricket world, the development of cricket in our country will be stalled and, even more concerning, cricket may cease to exist in Afghanistan.”
The Afghan women’s squad was disbanded amid safety concerns a few years after it was formed in 2010 but the ACB revived the team last year and gave contracts to 25 players.
When the Taliban last ruled Afghanistan two decades ago, girls were not allowed to attend school and women were banned from work and education.
The International Cricket Council (ICC) will discuss the issue in its next board meeting, to be held on the sidelines of the Twenty20 World Cup in October-November.
“The whole country is in flux and transition while the new government sets it policies and priorities,” Shinwari said.
Cricket was first played in Afghanistan by British troops in the 19th century, but it only took root in the 1990s after Afghans who had learnt the game in refugee camps in Pakistan returned home.
It was initially banned by the Taliban during their 1996-2001 rule but later permitted and has since become hugely popular in the country.
The Afghanistan Cricket Federation was formed in Pakistan in 1995 and the ACB joined the ICC in 2001 as an affiliate member, gaining full membership in 2017.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
Do not worry about us, you are already out of time
Ace
Roar Rookie
Never mind..you'll get over it in time
RAdelaide
Roar Rookie
Cricket Australia is well within their rights to withdraw the invitation for Afghanistan's test match. I would argue, they should withdraw it pending an ICC decision. In an ideal world the ICC on their part should remove Aghanistan's test status, till they actually field a women's team.
Micko
Roar Rookie
The South Freo vs Claremont game is on Front Row Screens on youtube if you're keen to watch that. :thumbup:
Micko
Roar Rookie
Go watch the replay of West Perth v Swans on 7Plus when you get the chance. From halfway through the third quarter it was just toe to toe like a great boxing bout. :thumbup:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Unfortunately wasn't able to.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Going back to 1971 it was Australia as a country that took an individual stance against competing against Apartheid South Africa.. The universal blanket sports boycott endorsed by the UN only came later. The only question to be asked is can Australia compete against a country that refuses to grant equal rights to women. Especially if as happened in South Africa those limitations are entrenched constitutionally in that country.. If you cannot align yourselves morally you have to agree to compete only conditionally on those limitations being removed. Its not a difficult decision… South Africa especially given the support it received globally to force The National Party to reform is faced with the same challenge.. Here equal rights for women and gay rights too by the way are rigorously and actively enforced.. Those rights are constitutionally entrenched. But so is freedom of religion..will SA have the moral spine to say no to any competition with Afghanistan I wonder.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
This answer is closer to truth, but I would not say it is totally accurate. Taliban taking power without resistance is not approval of people of Taliban ruling, it is disapproval of western made puppet government. You can draw equivalence with Cuba, if there is a protest for more availability of toilet papers, West will headline it saying people are rising up for democracy & in desperate need of help. Every bricks that come out of any wall of china is a potential quake & revolution against CPC. We have seen this our entire life. Another thing about sharia law, regardless of it, conservative public will not allow girls to go outside home. This is pretty much prevalent here across rural India,only difference being the dress. So it will no differ much regardless of sharia or not when public is deeply conservative.
La grandeur d'Athéna
Roar Rookie
I will ask again, you are seriously asking that question? https://www.nytimes.com/article/mass-shootings-2021.amp.html The countries mentioned here, I know I am not an expert but as military enthusiast can say with confident, has no capacity to organize an invasion. It is unpossible for people not to understand that reference of mass shooting living in this planet. The so called allied force is nothing but vassal states putting together token gesture. And yet we have been hearing colourful stories about your special soldiers. I do not know which one is worse.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Did you watch the WAFL finals this weekend? Two absolute crackers! :thumbup:
Jack Russell
Roar Guru
There's a reason the Taliban overran the country so easily. Because a big chunk of the country welcomed it. As backward and abhorrent it seems to us, an awful lot of Afghans (I'm reluctant to give a %) clearly want to live under sharia law.
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I can see the intent - which is to encourage change by dangling Test status and a seat at the ICC Board out there (and there's a few other things that have to be implemented to achieve Full Member status), but yes it's a conflicting approach.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Surely you can admit how absurd the situation is Jeff?!!
Micko
Roar Rookie
Just seems absurd to me! At one stage the ICC says if you don't have any women teams/participation due to your nation's cultural/religious ideology...that's A-OK. Then if you're good enough to have a test side...nah we don't accept your cultural practices anymore....WHAT?! :shocked: :silly:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
Have to ask the ICC that one!
Micko
Roar Rookie
Yes, but if they accept it at THAT level…then why the need to interfere if they’re good enough to be a test nation??? At one point the Regional Development Manager won’t accept the supporting letter anymore! Sounds ludicrous! We now justify interfering with Afghanistan’s internal/cultural affairs because they’re good enough to be a test nation? Just seems silly to me! Either it’s a blanket ban across the world of cricket or it shouldn’t be. At one stage they accept a “supporting letter” that complies fully, then they turn around and say that very same “supporting letter” isn’t acceptable anymore?! Just silly! :thumbdown:
Jeff
Roar Rookie
I think it’s about encouraging nations to invest in the womens’ game so they can get Test status. The “exemption” clause on religious/cultural grounds I suspect is to widen the net for to capture more Ass Members. — The development of Women’s Cricket must be incorporated within the Associate Member’s National Development Plan. Girls must be included in junior involvement programs and a senior and/or junior women’s competition of at least four (4) must be in existence. If the development of Women’s cricket is not possible for cultural or religious reasons, the Member is to provide written notice of this to the Regional Development Manager along with a supporting letter from a relevant government department.
Micko
Roar Rookie
Why the hypocrisy? So they WILL let a nation with the policy play ODI's/T20I's, but draw the line for test nations? Seems ludicrous!
Renato CARINI
Roar Rookie
Leg breaks in a burqua? :laughing: :laughing:
Renato CARINI
Roar Rookie
$$$ :thumbup: