Image Credit- ICC
The Afghanistan
Cricket Board (ACB) has released a statement expressing its
“disappointment” with Cricket Australia (CA) for having to postpone
their next bilateral series.
The most recent development occurred on Tuesday when CA declared that Australia
would not be participating in the three-match Twenty20 International series at
a neutral location due to “a marked deterioration in human rights for
women and girls” in Afghanistan. This announcement followed discussions
with the Australian government.
“The ACB urges
the Australian government not to impose its policies on cricket boards, and
instead focus on supporting the development of cricket across regions”,
the statement said. “ACB’s top management had previously engaged in
negotiations with Cricket Australia, and proposed exploring alternative
solutions instead of publicly announcing withdrawals.”
Australia has
withdrawn from bilateral interactions with Afghanistan for the third time,
despite the fact that the series was signed into the ICC’s plan for future
trips.
Australia’s explanation, as it has done before, was related to concerns over
human rights in Afghanistan following the Taliban’s takeover of the government;
they had previously postponed the teams’ first Test match in 2021 and an ODI
series in 2023.
The ACB statement mentioned that the now-postponed T20I series “was
approved by the ICC in the presence of the CA delegation, who had agreed to the
fixtures at the time”. In the strongly worded statement, the ACB urged
“Cricket Australia to respect and understand its position as a Full Member
nation, and look for alternative solutions rather than succumbing to external
pressures and/or political influences”.
The board reiterated its stance “on neutral and politics-free cricket
across the globe”, and said it was even open to negotiations to ensure
cricket remained “free from political influence”.