ICC in wait-and-watch mode on Afghanistan cricket

Taliban has, reportedly, banned women from playing cricket

ITDC INDIA EPRESS/ITDC NEWS R With Afghanistan cricket being one of International Cricket Council's major success stories in recent times, the return of Taliban in the country and its decisions on the sport, have put the ICC in a wait-and-watch mode. Amid media reports of women being banned by the Taliban to play cricket and with no communication from Afghanistan Cricket Board so far, the situation is unclear. So enthused has the cricket body and the world been over the development of the game in last decade or so that Afghanistan was even granted full member and Test status in June 2017, along with Ireland by the ICC.

Cricket Australia was first to react to the media reports, a day after Taliban's cultural commission deputy head Ahmadullah Wasiq was quoted as saying that it wasn’t necessary for women to play cricket. Australia said that it will not host the Afghanistan men's team next month if women are not allowed to play the game under Taliban rule. "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. 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," the CA said.