Cricket Australia has indefinitely postponed their scheduled T20I series against Afghanistan, citing the lack of improvement in the Taliban’s stance on women’s rights.
The three-match series, originally set to take place in August this year in the UAE, has been put on hold.
This decision follows CA’s previous cancellation of the historic one-off Test against Afghanistan after the Taliban assumed control, as well as their withdrawal from the ODI series last year.
Despite leaving the door open for the resumption of bilateral cricket if conditions for girls and women in Afghanistan improved, CA now asserts that the situation has only worsened.
The announcement drew criticism from players like Rashid Khan and Naveen-ul-Haq, particularly after the two nations clashed in a gripping match at the World Cup in India later that year.
“Over the past 12 months, CA has maintained close consultation with the Australian government regarding the situation in Afghanistan,” stated CA in a release.
“Based on the government’s advice, which indicates a deteriorating environment for women and girls in Afghanistan, we have decided to postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan.”
The statement continued, “CA remains steadfast in its commitment to promoting women’s cricket globally and will actively collaborate with the ICC and the Afghanistan Cricket Board to explore potential measures to facilitate the resumption of bilateral matches in the future.”
Currently, Afghanistan stands as the only full member nation without a women’s cricket team.
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