Afghanistan Government gives in principle agreement to restart women's cricket, reckons ICC

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has stated that the Afghanistan government supports the world body's constitution and has in principle agreed to resume women's cricket. The last year, the elected government fell into the hands of the Taliban, and since then, women's inclusion in the national sports, including cricket, has been halted.

Under the Taliban administration, Afghan women were banned from playing sport, including cricket. Afghanistan cricket remains a full-time member of the ICC and according to the governing body's constitution, the full-time members are required to have a women's national team.

ACB to operate independently from government interference: ICC

ICC had set up a Working Group to review the status of Afghanistan Cricket earlier. The group consisting of Ross McCollum (Ireland chair), Ramiz Raja (Pakistan chair), and Lawson Naidoo (SA chair) has now received a positive update from the Afghanistan government and the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) during their meeting in Doha. ICC officials also stated that the Afghanistan government reiterated their commitment for the ACB to operate independently from government interference. 

Imran Khwaja, Working Group Chair, stated that the meeting with Afghanistan government representatives was positive and respectful. But he also pointed out that there will be obvious challenges to resuming women's cricket in the nation but assured that ICC will continue to work with ACB and monitor the situation.

"The meeting was positive and respectful and the government representative was clear in his support for the ICC constitution including in principle for women's cricket in Afghanistan," Working Group Chair Imran Khwaja said as quoted by NDTV.

"There are obviously challenges for it to resume but we will continue to work with the ACB to take this forward. The Working Group will closely monitor the commitment undertaken by the Afghanistan government and will continue to report back to the ICC Board," ICC added.