Cricket Australia (CA) says government advice is that conditions for women and girls “are getting worse”.
It is the third time Australia has declined to play Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
A one-off Test match in September 2021 and a three-match men’s one-day series in March 2023 were also cancelled.
What disgusts me is that we seem to be alone in this. Many other countries are still playing against them, and the ICC itself has done nothing. This despite the fact that their own rules are quite clear: full ICC members must have a women’s team. They should be suspended as members until that happens. They should not have been allowed into last year’s World Cup.
Shame on Ireland, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Zimbabwe, and any other country, especially full ICC members, who has played cricket against Afghanistan. And shame especially on the ICC for failing to apply their rules.
I know nothing about cricket, but that’s absolutely the right thing to do.
While it is the right thing to do, continued cultural isolation of its people is exactly what the Taliban want
That guy in yellow will never know what hit him.
Cricket Australia has withdrawn.
Like many things, this is an area where Australians straddle the line between Britain and America.
In America, an organisation is singular. It is one organisation, after all.
In Britain, organisations are plural. They are made up of multiple people, after all.
We go either way. Some might prefer “Australia has”, others prefer “Australia have”. Neither is wrong.
“Australia have withdrawn” is still fine. They (Australia) have withdrawn.
I would also say ‘has’, but as @Zagorath and @snugglesthefalse already said, both is possible, and I didn’t want to correct the BBC.
Legends.
Refuse to play against Israel and we can talk.
The issue with playing Afghanistan in cricket is pretty black and white. It could be a stance against the sexism from the country’s government in general, or against their atrocities even more broadly, the latter of which would make it equivalent to Israel. But in fact, it’s far simpler than that. We will not play their men’s team unless they also have a professional women’s cricket team. Strictly speaking, without a women’s team, they are not even eligible to be a full member of the International Cricket Council.
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Israel has a cricket team?
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Despite being geographically part of the Middle East, they are members of the European Cricket Council
Isn’t that the same for most sport? Israel has been part of UEFA for over 30 years at this point, for example.
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I think it’s more a case of the other countries in the region not wanting to associate with Israel.
Play against Israel at what? It has probably happened at the Olympics or something, but I can’t think of any occasion where Australia and Israel have played each other at any sport. They’re on the far side of the planet, after all.
As to Cricket, my old High School could probably beat whatever cricket team Israel has. It would be the most laughable token gesture ever for Cricket Australia to announce they won’t play Israel.
at the Olympics or something
And for what it’s worth, we also have played Afghanistan in tournaments.
