Australia on Friday defended their hotly contested decision to pull out of a cricket series against Afghanistan following a Taliban crackdown on women’s “basic human rights”. Australia and Afghanistan were scheduled to play three ODIs in the United Arab Emirates in March but Cricket Australia (CA) scrapped the series after consultation with stakeholders, including the Australian government. “Basic human rights is not politics,” CA chief executive Nick Hockley said in a statement.

“It is clearly a very challenging and sad situation. We did not take this decision lightly,” Hockley said. Cricket Australia had been hopeful of playing Afghanistan and was in regular contact with the Afghanistan Cricket Board, he added. “However announcements by the Taliban in late November and late December signalling the deterioration of basic human rights for women in Afghanistan led to our decision to withdraw from these games,” he said. Hockley said the Australian cricket authority consulted with the Australian government and others before scrapping the games.

He also responded to Afghanistan’s best-known international cricketer and leg-spinner Rashid Khan, who had criticised the cancellation and warned he would be “strongly considering” his future in Australia’s Big Bash League. “We acknowledge and applaud Rashid Khan’s and other Afghanistan cricketers’ comments at the time condemning the Taliban’s decision to ban women from universities. Rashid will always be welcome in the BBL,” Hockley said.

Australia was committed to growing the game for women and men, the cricket chief said, adding that he hoped better conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan would allow cricket between the countries to resume “in the not too distant future”. Meanwhile, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan is considering his future in the Big Bash League (BBL) after Australia’s men’s team withdrew from their ODI series against Afghanistan.

“I am really disappointed to hear that Australia have pulled out of the series to play us in March,” Rashid, who plays for the Adelaide Strikers, said in a statement on Twitter. “I take great pride in representing my country, and we have made great progress on the world stage. This decision from CA sets us back in that journey.” Rashid played eight times for the Strikers this season, but left the BBL this month to compete in South Africa’s new Twenty20 league, in which he is captain of MI Cape Town.

“If playing vs Afghanistan is so uncomfortable for Australia, then I wouldn’t want to make anyone uncomfortable with my presence in the BBL. Therefore, I will be strongly considering my future in that competition,” Rashid said. Australia were scheduled to play a Test match against Afghanistan in November, 2021 but it was postponed after the Taliban seized power in August of that year.

Credit : Independent News Pakistan-INP