Afghanistan calls for ‘respect’ as Australia postpones T20 cricket series

Cricket Australia says it has postponed the men’s bilateral T20 series as ‘conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse’.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) has called for “respect” from Cricket Australia (CA) following the latter’s postponement of a bilateral men’s T20 series citing “deteriorating human rights for women and girls in the country under Taliban rule”.

Australia has previously cancelled a one-off Test match and a one-day international (ODI) series against Afghanistan for the same reason, but had then said it kept “the door ajar for future bilateral series on the proviso of improved conditions for women and girls in the country”.

CA said on Tuesday that it made its latest decision to call off the scheduled series for August upon receiving advice from the Australian government that “conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse”.

“For this reason, we have maintained our previous position,” cricket’s governing body in the country said in its statement.

Afghanistan were expected to host Australia in Sharjah, the United Arab Emirates, their de facto home ground, for the three-match series in August.

The Afghanistan Cricket Board on Wednesday released a statement which was pointedly headed with “another” postponement by CA and highlighted its own continuing membership of the International Cricket Council (ICC).

“The ACB urges Cricket Australia to respect and understand its position as a Full Member nation (of the ICC), and look for alternative solutions rather than succumbing to external pressures and/or political influences,” the statement read.

The Taliban has termed the decision hypocritical as the Australian cricket team played Afghanistan during last year’s 50-over ICC