Government leaders call on ICC to take a stand on Afghanistan amid concerns about women’s cricket

Several government leaders have called on the International Cricket Council (ICC) to take a stand on Afghanistan as fears grow that the world’s reputation for the sport could be tarnished amid its Olympic bid if the Taliban bans women’s cricket in a dispute.

The rapid return of the hard-line Islamist group has added to fears that a new women’s game is over in Afghanistan.

The director of the groups’ cultural commission said Australian broadcaster SBS that she believed that women’s cricket was probably done, which led to cricket in Australia, but canceled the first test in the history of November between Australia and Afghanistan in Hobart.

The Afghan Cricket Commission (ACB) has provided an answer passionate appeal and said women are still supposed to play cricket. But the likelihood that a repressive system will make concessions is bleak.

The International Criminal Court has been mostly silent and seems to be waiting – which it usually does particularly well – until the Taliban makes a formal decision.

A board meeting in November – the first personal meeting with leaders since the pandemic – is scheduled to address the issue, but everyone seems to agree that it is too long.

An immediate extraordinary meeting seems likely when Afghanistan ranks uncertainly in the T20 World Cup. According to sources, no meeting has been held right now.

The pressure is on a 17-person and well-crowned split ICC board so they can play a firm role in the future of the cricket’s heart-warming story. But some government leaders have called on the governing body to take the initiative – which the ICC doesn’t always seem to have to do.

“What is the International Criminal Court’s real position on how politics affects the functioning of the national cricket government?” the head of government told me.

“The International Criminal Court is vague on many things and what it really represents. It has to act, otherwise individual countries will make individual decisions.

“I am not sure that the ICC as an institution is strong in determination.

Another head of government stressed different sentiments and said “politics should not be confused with cricket”. “It sets a precedent and then the ICC has to start reviewing the actions of other governments,” the director told me. “Banning Afghanistan can kill cricket there. Do we want to do that?”

With a $ 3 million offer to get cricket to the Los Angeles Olympics, where sources say high-level discussions between the ICC working group and the LA Local Organizing Committee have begun, the impact of the cricket image is worried.

“It may cause problems with the Olympics offer, but it probably depends on how the ICC handles it,” the head of government told me.

The mood is currently volatile, although insiders still feel that Australia, England and New Zealand are in favor of removing Afghanistan’s full membership.

But as always, the real power is in all the powerful BCCI – the Indian governing body. According to sources, Afghanistan voted for BCCI-approved Greg Barclay in last year’s controversial presidential election, but it has generally been lukewarm to support cricket’s strongest governing body, although it has sometimes been in India in recent years.

“BCCI is crucial about what decisions are made,” the head of government told me.

The future of Afghan cricket is at a crossroads and perhaps in hindsight, the ICC and its government were far too eager to grant them full membership.

The ultimate welfare story of rewarding cricket, a welcome distraction from scandals, and taking strong control from the rich was an opportunity that was too good to give up in 2017, even though women’s cricket was not very developed in Afghanistan.

The development of women’s cricket and trail structures are part of the rigorous criteria for achieving exclusive membership, which currently includes only 12 countries.

To the annoyance of some associated states, which had long believed that Afghanistan received preferential treatment from the governing body of cricket, an exception was invoked and Afghanistan gained elite status on the condition that women’s cricket be developed.

“Afghanistan was a fairy tale of cricket and because of the rise of the men’s team, they got full membership, although there were question marks as to whether women’s cricket could ever really develop there,” the ICC board chief told me.

Development has been slow in conservative terrain. “Afghan society was not ready to accept women’s cricket,” said Shafiq Stanikzai, who served as CEO of ACB from 2014-19.

We had to teach society that they have to accept women’s cricket. Women can get away from home and play cricket.

“A few counties started playing women’s cricket.”

The ACB has stated that 25 female players are involved, although some have questioned the validity of the claim. ACB did not answer my questions on this matter.

It is a delicate situation that can turn ugly if decisions are not made quickly.