As calls intensify for South Africa and England to boycott their upcoming matches against Afghanistan in the 2025 Champions Trophy, many are questioning why the International Cricket Council (ICC) has yet to take action on the matter. The demand comes in response to the Taliban’s decision to ban the Afghan women’s cricket team, further restricting women’s rights in the country.
Since regaining power in 2021, the Taliban has imposed several bans that curtail women’s freedoms, such as prohibiting girls from attending schools and universities, and restricting access to beauty salons, public parks, and gyms. These actions have sparked global outrage, with political leaders from South Africa and England urging their respective cricket teams to withdraw from playing Afghanistan in protest.
Could the ICC ban Afghanistan’s cricket team?
Despite the gravity of the situation, the ICC has yet to intervene. But the real question is, could the ICC ban Afghanistan’s cricket team? The answer is yes. The ICC holds the authority to suspend a country if it faces political instability or fails to comply with its regulations. Notably, the ICC mandates that all member nations support both men’s and women’s national cricket teams.
Afghanistan was granted full ICC membership in 2017 with the understanding that efforts would be made to develop women’s cricket. In 2020, the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) offered central contracts to 25 women players in an attempt to form a team. However, following the Taliban’s return to power, the women’s team was disbanded. This failure to support women’s cricket could technically lead to Afghanistan’s suspension, though the ICC has opted for a wait-and-see approach.
In response to the situation, the ICC has set up an Afghanistan Cricket Task Force. The task force, led by ICC Deputy Chairman Imran Khwaja, is working with the Afghanistan Cricket Board to address the issue and restore opportunities for both men’s and women’s cricket in the country. An ICC spokesperson stated that the organization is committed to using its influence to support the development of cricket in Afghanistan and to ensure that both male and female players have opportunities to participate.
The ICC’s approach mirrors that of FIFA, which has allowed Afghanistan’s men’s football team to play internationally despite similar political interference. FIFA, too, has acknowledged that political, social, and religious contexts in different regions may be beyond their control.
While the ICC continues its dialogue with the Taliban, Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board have chosen not to engage in bilateral cricket with Afghanistan, limiting their interactions to ICC events only.
Also Read: Bangladesh Cricketer Tamim Iqbal Bids Final Farewell To International Cricket
