The International Cricket Council (ICC) reportedly has no plans to ban Afghanistan’s men’s team from the Champions Trophy or require the Taliban to reinstate a women’s cricket program, despite calls for action from politicians and activists, according to Sky News.
Although ICC rules mandate Test-playing nations to support women’s cricket, the organization has faced criticism for allowing Afghanistan to participate while women and girls remain banned from sports under Taliban rule since 2021. The ICC has defended its position, arguing that penalizing Afghanistan’s male players for government policies would be unfair.
British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has supported calls for the ICC to enforce its regulations. This follows a letter signed by over 160 UK MPs and peers urging the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott its upcoming match against Afghanistan in the ICC’s 50-over tournament.
South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has also advocated for a boycott, drawing comparisons to racial discrimination in sports during Apartheid. However, Cricket South Africa stated it would follow ICC regulations and align its position with the requirements of international tournaments.
The ICC has emphasized using cricket as a means to drive change in Afghanistan rather than imposing sanctions. An ICC spokesperson told Sky News, “We are committed to leveraging our influence constructively to support the Afghanistan Cricket Board in fostering cricket development and ensuring playing opportunities for both men and women in Afghanistan.”
To address the situation, the ICC formed an Afghanistan Cricket Task Force, chaired by Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja. Afghanistan has retained its full ICC membership since 2017, despite not having a women’s cricket program at the time, due to cultural and religious constraints. In 2020, the Afghanistan Cricket Board initiated plans to form a women’s team by awarding contracts to 25 female players, but those efforts were halted after the Taliban took power in 2021.
Criticism has come from Afghan women’s rights activists, including former national women’s football captain Khalida Popal. “The governing bodies are not showing leadership,” Popal told Sky News. “They have failed to take action. They have failed to stand by their own policies and statutes.” She urged sports organizations to take a stand against the exclusion of Afghan women from sports, stressing that such discrimination must not be tolerated.
The issue parallels challenges faced by FIFA, which allows Afghanistan’s men’s football team to compete internationally while drawing criticism for insufficient efforts to restore women’s football in the country. FIFA President Gianni Infantino acknowledged the difficulties posed by “political, social, and religious contexts” but pledged to “find solutions.”
While both the ECB and Cricket South Africa have condemned the Taliban’s treatment of women, they are calling for a unified response from the ICC. The ICC’s decision to maintain Afghanistan’s inclusion in the Champions Trophy highlights the complex balance between sports governance and human rights advocacy in a politically charged global landscape.
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Name of Author: Cricexec Staff
