Cricket Australia calls off August T20 series vs Afghanistan in UAE over women's rights

Australia have called off a T20 series against Afghanistan citing a deteriorating human rights situation for women and girls in the Taliban-ruled country, Cricket Australia (CA) said on Tuesday.

Australia withdrew from a one-day series scheduled for March last year in the United Arab Emirates after the Taliban imposed strict restrictions on Afghan women, including banning them from attending universities.

The teams were scheduled to play three T20 matches in the UAE in August this year but CA said that after consultations with the Australian government it had decided to call off the series.

"The government's advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse," the cricket board said in a statement.

"For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan."

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CA added that it would engage with its Afghan counterpart as well as the International Cricket Council to "...determine what actions could be taken to support the resumption of bilateral matches in the future."

Afghanistan's women team were disbanded and several members fled the country after the country's Taliban takeover in 2021.

Australia also cancelled a one-off Test against Afghanistan in Hobart the same year.

Since the decision, the Afghanistan Cricket Board has released a statement expressing their disappointment at the decision.

"The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) expresses disappointment over Cricket Australia's decision to postpone yet another bilateral series against Afghanistan and reiterates its stance on neutral and politics-free cricket across the globe," they said.

"ACB advocates for keeping cricket distinct from political influence, considering the game's significance in Afghanistan and its connection to the happiness and joy of the Afghan Nation.

"ACB acknowledges the pressures faced by Cricket Australia from the Australian Government and emphasises on the importance of addressing such issues through collaborative efforts between the two cricket boards. The ACB also urges the Australian government not to impose its policies on cricket boards and instead focus on supporting the development of cricket across regions.

"ACB's top management had previously engaged in negotiations with Cricket Australia and proposed exploring alternative solutions instead of publicly announcing withdrawals. ACB expresses disappointment over CA's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan for the third time.

"The three-match T20I series was part of AfghanAtalan's FTP for the ICC 2023-2027 International Calendar, which was approved by the ICC in the presence of the CA delegation, who had agreed to the fixtures at the time.

"This recent withdrawal follows Cricket Australia's previous actions, including withdrawing from a one-off test match against Afghanistan in 2021 and refusing to play Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series in March 2023 due to government influence.

"ACB urges Cricket Australia to respect and understand its position as a Full Member nation and look for alternative solutions rather than succumbing to external pressures and/or political influences.

"The Afghanistan Cricket Board remains committed to negotiating with the International Cricket Council, Cricket Australia, and other full member countries and adhering to ICC principles to ensure cricket remains free from political influence and supported by all parties involved."