Afghanistan cricket team is in big trouble ahead of next month’s Champions Trophy. Actually this matter is related to their women’s team. It has been three years now that women’s cricket has been banned in Afghanistan by the Taliban regime. Despite constant efforts by the International Cricket Council (ICC), women’s cricket could not take off in Afghanistan. Now over this issue, first England and then South Africa have demanded a boycott of their respective matches against Afghanistan in the Champions Trophy.
South African Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has also requested his team not to play the match against Afghanistan.
Similar news came from South Africa just hours after England leaders called for a boycott of the Champions Trophy match against Afghanistan. South Africa’s Sports Minister Gayton McKenzie has also requested his team not to play the match against Afghanistan.
In his statement, he said, “Cricket South, Africa and other cricket federations and the ICC have to think carefully about what message the game of cricket wants to convey to the world and especially to the women of the game. What is the cause of the game. It is not my responsibility as a sports minister to decide.” Whether South Africa will play their match against Afghanistan or not, if I had to make that decision, I would not have let this match happen.
Australia has consistently ruled out a bilateral series against Afghanistan
Since the advent of the Taliban regime, Australia has been the only team to openly oppose Afghanistan. In the last three years, Australia has refused to play a bilateral series against Afghanistan three times. This includes the Test match against Afghanistan which they were going to play in Australia. However, so far Australia has not refused to play a match against Afghanistan in any ICC event.
Only last year, Afghanistan defeated Australia in the T-20 World Cup. However, a three-match T-20 series was to be played between the two countries in August last year, but Australia refused to play this series as well.
