AUSvsAFG: Cricket Australia postpones 3-match T20 series citing deteriorating human rights for women and girls

Cricket Australia (CA) has postponed the AUSvsAFG 3-match T20 International series to be played in August this year. Australia has cited the human rights of women and girls in Afghanistan as the reason for canceling this series. This is the third time that Australia has refused to play a series against Afghanistan.

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CA is disappointed with the restrictions on women's education and employment in Afghanistan and has made it clear that it will maintain relations with the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) in the hope of bettering the conditions of women and girls in Afghanistan.

'Conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse'

CA has said in a statement issued in this regard, "continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country. The government's advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse. For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan,"

"CA continues its strong commitment to supporting participation by women and girls in cricket around the world and will continue to actively engage the International Cricket Council and work closely with the Afghanistan Cricket Board to determine what actions could be taken to support the resumption of bilateral matches in the future," the statement added.

CA has already canceled bilateral series against Afghanistan

The Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 resulted in restrictions on women's rights to work and study. Regarding the issue, CA had first canceled AUSvsAFG Test match series to be played in Hobart in the year 2021. After that, on January 12, 2023, the 3-match ODI series to be played in UAE in March 2023 was cancelled. As an immediate fallout of that decision, Afghanistan's star spinner Rashid Khan and fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq had threatened to leave the Big Bash League (BBL).

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Only 2 matches took place between the two teams in the last 2 years

Only two matches have been played between AUSvsAFG in the last two years. The last time Cricket Australia canceled the series with Afghanistan, they had made it clear that they would not boycott playing Afghanistan in ICC events. There is a difference between playing a bilateral series, which is under the control of Cricket Australia, and playing a World Cup tournament because that is an ICC event and over which they have no control.