Australia’s top cricket official has defended the country’s stance of boycotting bilateral matches against Afghanistan while continuing to face them in ICC World Cup tournaments. The decision stems from the Taliban’s restrictions on women’s participation in sports.
Cricket Australia (CA) chairman Mike Baird expressed pride in their position, saying, “We’ve taken a position, and we’re proudly standing up where we think we should. There’s all types of lines you can draw. We’ve drawn a line.”
Former ICC chairman Greg Barclay criticized the approach, accusing Australia of hypocrisy. “If you want to make a political statement, don’t play them in a World Cup,” Barclay told the Daily Telegraph. “Sure, it might cost you a semifinal place, but principles are principles. It’s not about having half a principle.”
Australia has consistently refused to play bilateral series against Afghanistan, citing human rights concerns under the Taliban’s rule. In March 2023, CA indefinitely postponed a T20 series, referencing “deteriorating human rights for women and girls.” The Afghanistan Cricket Board urged CA to consider alternative solutions instead of yielding to “external pressures and/or political influences.”
Since 2021, Australia has canceled three bilateral engagements, including a one-off Test match and an ODI series, while leaving the door open for future matches if conditions for Afghan women improve. Before the Taliban’s return to power, Afghanistan’s cricket board had made modest progress in fostering women’s cricket, contracting semi-professional players in 2020. Many of these players fled to Australia after the Taliban takeover in 2021.
Despite the boycott of bilateral games, Australia faced Afghanistan in the ICC ODI World Cup 2023 and ICC T20 World Cup 2024. Afghanistan achieved a historic victory over Australia in the T20 World Cup’s Super Eight clash, winning by 21 runs. The win sparked jubilant celebrations among Afghan fans and players. Gulbadin Naib, a key player in the match, declared, “We have waited for this moment for a long time – at last, we beat Australia.”
Earlier in the 50-over World Cup, Afghanistan nearly defeated Australia, but Glenn Maxwell’s double century secured a dramatic win for the Australians. Australia eventually triumphed in the tournament, defeating India in the final on November 19, 2023.
The two teams might meet again in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, scheduled to be held in Pakistan in February and March.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
