Cricket Australia (CA) announced that it will not participate in the upcoming ODI series against Afghanistan, citing the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s freedom as the reason. The series was set to take place in March as part of the ICC Super League in the UAE. This decision follows a previous cancellation of a one-off Test against Afghanistan, which was scheduled to be played in Hobart in November 2021.
Afghanistan fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq expressed disappointment with CA’s decision and stated that he will no longer participate in the Big Bash League until they stop these “childish” decisions. He took to Twitter to express his views. “Time to say won’t be participating in big bash after this until they stop these childish decisions that’s how they went about the one off test now ODI when a country is going through so much in place off being supportive you want to take the only reason of happiness from them #CA”
CA made this decision after consulting with relevant stakeholders, including the Australian government. The organization stated in a statement that, “CA is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan, and will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country.”
As a result of this decision, Australia will also forfeit 30 competition points for the series, which go towards World Cup qualification. However, this will have little impact as they have already secured a spot for the ODI World Cup in India later this year. The decision made by Cricket Australia is a clear indication of their stance on the matter and their commitment to promoting women’s rights and equality in the sport.
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