Cricket Australia has cancelled their men's T20 series with Afghanistan due to worsening human rights for women and girls in the country under Taliban rule.
Australia were scheduled to play against Afghanistan in a three-match series in the UAE in August but have decided not to play against the country for the third time since the Taliban came back to power in 2021.
Despite this, Australia has still played against Afghanistan in ICC tournaments and defeated them by three wickets on the way to winning the 50-over World Cup in India last year. Before the World Cup group game against Afghanistan in November, Cricket Australia mentioned that there was a difference between playing bilateral series against Afghanistan, which falls under CA control, and playing in a World Cup tournament, which is an ICC event and subject to their regulations..
In a new statement, they state that government advice is that conditions for women and girls in Afghanistan are deteriorating, hence the decision to postpone this summer's series.
'For this reason, we have maintained our previous position and will postpone the bilateral series against Afghanistan,' the statement said.
Australia defeated Afghanistan at last year's 50-over World Cup.
Afghanistan remains the only ICC full member nation without a women's team, but restrictions on women and girls in the country are not limited to sports.
The Taliban has prohibited girls from attending school beyond primary and they are not permitted in parks, gyms, and pools.
The sides were supposed to meet in August.
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