'Those things are not in our control' - Hashmatullah Shahidi on women's cricket in Afghanistan

Afghanistan captain Hashmatullah Shahidi has expressed his support for Afghan women to play cricket but mentioned that the situation is beyond his control. Speaking ahead of Afghanistan’s crucial ICC Champions Trophy 2025 match against England, Shahidi pointed out that his team’s focus is on cricket and their performances on the field.

The issue of women's cricket in Afghanistan has been a controversial topic ever since the Taliban took control in 2021, banning women from participating in sports. The matter gained more attention ahead of Afghanistan’s match against England, as over 160 British politicians urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott the fixture in protest of Afghanistan’s stance on women’s cricket. Despite these calls, the ECB decided to proceed with the match, with England’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer also requesting the ICC to confirm its regulations on gender equality in the sport.

"Everyone likes to see everyone play. When it comes to politics and those things which we cannot control, we are only cricket players, we can control things in the ground. We are sportspersons. We control what we can do inside the ground and we can't worry about what's happening out of the ground. We play hard, we work hard, we have good net sessions. So that's what we're thinking of," Shahidi said as quoted by ESPNcricinfo.

Also Read: 'I have daughters who play cricket' - Jonathan Trott on Taliban rule in Afghanistan

Sport has a great power to unite people and give hope: Jos Buttler

England captain Jos Buttler also stressed the situation, stating that his team was deeply saddened by the difficulty of women in Afghanistan. Afghanistan head coach Jonathan Trott also stepped in, speaking about the difficult position the players find themselves in.

"We're very saddened at the plight of women and girls in Afghanistan at the moment, and the struggles they are facing. But we hope that the game tomorrow can be a source of hope and enjoyment in what is obviously a tough time at the moment. We're very excited about the match. Sport has a great power to unite people and give hope, and that's what we hope this game will do," Buttler said.