Australia cancels Afghan game over women’s rights restrictions

Australia withdrew from the upcoming international cricket series against Afghanistan due to new restrictions on women’s rights imposed by the Taliban government, the country’s sports governing body said Thursday.

The Australian team was scheduled to play three games with Afghanistan in the United Arab Emirates in March, but Cricket Australia (CA) said it had decided to end the series after consulting with the Australian government and others, US news agency AP reported.

The Taliban regained power in Afghanistan in 2021, after 20 years of international presence in the country, and again imposed restrictions on women’s rights at various levels.

The extremist group has banned women from playing the sport, claiming it would violate Islamic laws, which they interpret strictly as their hair and skin are not covered.

CA said in a statement that the decision to withdraw from the one-day men’s international series follows the Taliban’s recent restrictions on education and employment opportunities for women and girls, as well as banning them from parks and gyms.

“CA is committed to supporting the growth of the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan, and will continue to work with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of better conditions for women and girls in the country,” he added. .

Australia has previously given similar reasons for the cancellation of the test match against Afghanistan in November 2021.

Last December, the Taliban banned women from higher education.

A month earlier, they were banned from gyms and parks.

According to the United Nations, women are also banned from attending school after sixth grade and from working most jobs outside the home.

Afghanistan, where cricket is very popular, is the only country in the international federation of this sport that does not have a women’s team.