Afghanistan Cricket Board has expressed it’s disappointment over Cricket Australia’s stance of postponing another bilateral series between both teams. The ACB emphasized the importance of allowing cricket boards to govern independently without government interference, emphasizing the need for the Australian government to prioritize cricket development globally.
According to the statement, ACB leadership had previously held discussions with Cricket Australia, suggesting the exploration of alternative approaches rather than resorting to public withdrawal announcements.
Earlier on Tuesday we reported about Cricket Australia’s decision to postpone T20I series against Afghanistan slated to be played at a neutral venue due to marked deterioration in human rights for women and girls in Afghanistan. This is the third time that Australia has pulled back from a bilateral engagement with Afghanistan, even though the series was inked into the ICC’s future tours program.
Australia stated that the reason behind their decision is the human rights issues for Women & Girls in Afghanistan since the Taliban took over the Afghanistan government. This is not the first time that Australia has denied playing Afghanistan in a bilateral series. Earlier in 2021 & 2023, Australia had postponed a one-off Test & three-match ODI series against Afghanistan.
The Afghanistan-Australia T20I series was approved by ICC, says ACB
Afghanistan Cricket Board also mentioned that the T20I series was approved by the ICC. During the ICC’s approval process, the CA delegation was present and had previously consented to the fixtures. In a firm statement, the ACB called on Cricket Australia to acknowledge and respect its status as a Full Member nation.
The ACB further encouraged Cricket Australia to seek alternative resolutions rather than yielding to external pressures or political influences. ACB emphasized its stance on neutral and politics-free cricket across the globe and said that the board is open to negotiating to ensure that cricket remains free from political influence.
Australia last played Afghanistan in the ODI World Cup 2023. Australia thought that they would not boycott playing Afghanistan in ICC events but would not play any bilateral series with them. Bilateral series are under Crciket Australia’s control & it’s over them whether they want to play it or not. While the ICC Tournament functions under the board’s directives & any full-member nation cannot deny of playing any team in the ICC tournament.
Cricket Australia is yet to respond to ACB’s statement & it’s worth seeing whether they will take away their stance of not playing any bilateral series against Afghanistan or will continue with their decision.
Also read, IPL 2024:Rishabh Pant reappointed as Delhi Capitals Captain
