Afghanistan call for 'politics-free cricket' after Australia scrap T20s

Afghanistan cricket bosses Wednesday expressed disappointment that Australia had scrapped a men's T20 series because of deteriorating women's rights in the Taliban-ruled country and called for "politics-free cricket".

Cricket Australia said it had received advice "that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are getting worse" and postponed the three-match series scheduled in August, likely to have been hosted by the UAE.

"The Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) expresses disappointment over Cricket Australia's decision to postpone yet another bilateral series against Afghanistan and reiterates its stance on neutral and politics-free cricket across the globe," said a statement.

The decision, announced Tuesday, was the third time since 2021, when the Taliban returned to power, that Australia have refused to play Afghanistan outside of international tournaments.

Cricket has surged in popularity inside Afghanistan in recent years, fuelled by triumphs over bigger nations on the international stage.

But under the Taliban government's brand of Islamic rule, women are effectively barred from the game, as part of a raft of restrictions on women in Afghanistan the United Nations has labelled "gender apartheid".

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