CA set to cancel Australia-Afghanistan Test after Taliban’s views on women’s cricket

Cricket Australia is unlikely to go ahead with Australia’s upcoming one-off Test match against Afghanistan after the Taliban restricted women from playing cricket in the Asian country. The game was set to take place from November 27 at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart and Tasmania was geared up for its maiden Test match since the year 2016.

Earlier, Premier of Tasmania, Peter Gutwein, also talked about consulting Hobart’s Hazara community to decide the fate of the encounter in Hobart. Back in 1996-2001, the Taliban brutally massacred the Hazaras after coming to power.

CA, in a statement, released on Thursday, September 9, was clear cut in saying that it wouldn’t be able to proceed with the Test match given the Taliban’s views on women’s cricket.

Cricket Australia puts forth its opinions

“Driving the growth of women’s cricket globally is incredibly important to Cricket Australia. Our vision for cricket is that it is a sport for all and we support the game unequivocally for women at every level, ” the statement read, cricket.com.au reported.

“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.

“We thank the Australian and Tasmanian Governments for their support on this important issue,” the statement read.

Previously, Ahmadullah Wasiq, a spokesperson for the for the Taliban government’s cultural commission, said that women’s cricket in Afghanistan isn’t allowed under the Islamic law.

“Islam and the Islamic Emirate do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed. 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,” Wasiq said.

He stated that the Taliban won’t budge on their views on women’s cricket even if it meant putting the Afghanistan-Australia Test at risk.

Senator Richard Colbeck, the Australian Federal Sports Minister, requested the International Cricket Council to take a step against the Taliban’s views on women’s cricket.

He said the issue of visas to the Afghanistan men’s team is still unclear if the upcoming Test in Hobart goes ahead as scheduled.