Australia threatens to cancel Afghanistan Test after Taliban ban women sports

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‘I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play cricket,’ says a Taliban official.

Cricket Australia said Thursday it would have “no alternative” but to cancel hosting a historic Test match against Afghanistan unless the Taliban backtracks on a reported ban on women playing sport.

The governing body said the first-ever men’s Test between the two nations was under serious threat after the comment from Taliban’ cultural commission Ahmadullah Wasiq.

“I don’t think women will be allowed to play cricket because it is not necessary that women should play cricket,” Wasiq told Australian broadcaster SBS on Wednesday.

“It is the media era, and there will be photos and videos, and then people watch it. Islam and the Islamic Emirate do not allow women to play cricket or play the kind of sports where they get exposed.

“While commenting this he said Afghanistan men cricket can continue as it is.

On Thursday, Cricket Australia said driving the growth of women’s cricket globally was “incredibly important” to the organisation.

If recent media reports that women’s cricket will not be supported in Afghanistan are substantiated, Cricket Australia would have no alternative but to not host Afghanistan for the proposed Test Match due to be played in Hobart.”

Courtesy: The News