Cricket Australia yesterday said that it would cancel a maiden Test match against Afghanistan unless the Taliban backtracks on a reported ban on women playing sport.
The governing body said that the first ever men’s Test between the two nations in November was under serious threat after the deputy head of the Taliban’s cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, reportedly said that women would not play cricket, or any other sport, under the new regime.
“I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket, because it is not necessary that women should play cricket,” Wasiq told Australian broadcaster SBS on Wednesday. “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.”
Photo: AP
“It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it,” he said. “Islam and the Islamic Emirate do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed.”
The Taliban said shortly after taking power that the schedule for the Afghanistan men’s team would not be interrupted, leading Cricket Australia to announce earlier this month it still hoped to host the landmark match on Nov. 27.
Yesterday, Cricket Australia said driving the growth of women’s cricket globally was “incredibly important.”
“Our vision for cricket is that it is a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level,” it said. “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.”
The Australian Cricketers’ Association said it “unequivocally” supported Cricket Australia’s position.
“What is happening now in Afghanistan is a human rights issue that transcends the game of cricket,” the association said.
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