Australia withdraws from Afghanistan ODI series over Taliban restrictions on women’s and girls’ rights

The Taliban seized control of the Asian nation in September 2021 and immediately placed restrictions on female participation in sports, which CA condemned.

Afghanistan and Australia were due to play a three-match ODI series in the United Arab Emirates in March as part of the ICC’s Super League. | Photo Credit: AP

Cricket Australia on Thursday announced that Australia’s men’s ODI series against Afghanistan in the UAE in March would not go ahead.

CA’s decision comes after the Taliban imposed further restrictions on women and girls’ education and employment.

The teams were meant to face each other in November 2021 in a Test match, but the fixture was postponed after the Taliban seized power in August.

“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,” the CA statement read.

Afghanistan remains the only ICC full-member nation without a women’s team and will be the only full member without a side at the inaugural Women’s U19 T20 World Cup starting on Saturday.

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

— Naveen ul haq Murid (@imnaveenulhaq) January 12, 2023

In December, the Taliban banned women from completing higher education, having prohibited attendance at gyms and parks a month earlier.

According to the United Nations, women are also banned from attending school beyond the sixth grade and working most jobs outside of their homes.

In November 2021, the ICC formed a working group aiming to support and review women’s and men’s cricket in Afghanistan but more than a year later, the country remains the only full member of the ICC without a fully operational women’s team.