Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Afghanistan’s membership and ban the Taliban-led nation from international cricket due to its systemic exclusion of women and girls from the sport. The request was made via an email addressed to ICC Chair Jay Shah on February 3 and was made public on March 7, with the subject line: “Suspending the Afghanistan Cricket Board and Implementing a Human Rights Policy”.
HRW Demands ICC Action Against Afghanistan’s Cricket Board
HRW, an independent international non-governmental organization advocating for human rights, has called on the ICC to take decisive action against the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB). The email urges the ICC to suspend Afghanistan’s membership until women and girls are once again allowed to participate in education and sports within the country.
“We are writing at this time to urge the International Cricket Council (ICC) to suspend Taliban-run Afghanistan from ICC membership and from participating in international cricket until women and girls can once again participate in education and sport in the country,” the email stated.
HRW has also pressed the ICC to implement a human rights policy aligned with the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
ICC’s Commitment to Women’s Cricket Under Scrutiny
HRW highlighted ICC Chair Jay Shah’s commitment to allocating more resources to women’s cricket, pointing out that since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, Afghan women and girls have been stripped of their fundamental rights. These include freedom of expression, movement, employment, and education beyond the sixth grade.
HRW’s email also referenced the ICC’s anti-discrimination policy, which aims to ensure all cricket participants, regardless of gender or background, are treated equally. It argued that the Afghanistan Cricket Board’s (ACB) exclusion of women and girls directly violates this policy.
HRW Calls Out Unequal Financial Support
While financial support for Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team was suspended in 2021, HRW pointed out that the men’s team continues to receive ICC funding and logistical backing, despite the governing body’s anti-discrimination rules.
“By not allowing women and girls to play cricket, and not allowing a national team for women and girls to compete internationally, the Afghanistan Cricket Board is failing to abide by this Anti-Discrimination Policy,” HRW stated.
The email further noted that cricket has been included in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games, emphasizing that the Taliban’s ban on female participation violates the Olympic Charter, which guarantees that “the practice of sport is a human right.”
Afghanistan Women’s Cricket Team in Exile
Since the Taliban’s return to power, Afghan women have faced increasing restrictions in public life, including the prohibition of sports. Before this, the ACB had agreed to contract 25 female players, most of whom now live in exile in Australia.
In July 2023, former members of Afghanistan’s women’s cricket team petitioned the ICC to recognize them as a refugee team. In January, some of these players formed an Afghanistan Women’s XI for an exhibition match in Melbourne against a Cricket Without Borders XI.
Calls for a Unified ICC Response
The controversy over Afghanistan’s participation in international cricket has sparked debate worldwide. While England and Australia have refused to play Afghanistan in bilateral series, they continue to compete against them in ICC events. ECB Chief Executive Richard Gould has called for a “coordinated, ICC-led response” rather than unilateral action by individual nations.
While some former Afghan women’s cricketers support keeping the men’s team active, they have urged male players to advocate for gender equality in the sport.
What’s Next for ICC?
HRW’s email posed critical questions about the ICC’s stance on Afghanistan, including:
- What progress the governing body has made in developing a human rights policy.
- Why the ICC has not suspended the ACB despite its exclusion of women and girls.
- Whether the ICC would recognize and support the Afghanistan women’s cricket team in exile.
- What steps the ICC has taken to pressure the ACB to reintegrate women and girls into the sport.
HRW called on the ICC to follow the lead of other global sporting bodies, such as the International Olympic Committee, in advocating for Afghan women’s inclusion in sports and committing to a clear human rights framework.
The ICC has yet to respond to the letter.