A day before a crucial Champions Trophy match between Afghanistan and England, Afghanistan’s head coach, Jonathan Trott, addressed the growing controversy surrounding his team. The Taliban’s continued crackdown on women’s rights in Afghanistan, including banning women from playing cricket, has led to calls for Afghanistan’s exclusion from international cricket. However, Trott emphasized that his players, who play in exile under the previous Afghan flag, understand the difference between right and wrong and remain focused on representing their people.
England has faced Afghanistan before since the Taliban’s return to power in 2021, most notably in the 2023 World Cup, where England suffered a shocking defeat. Afghan players like Rashid Khan and Mohammad Nabi have openly condemned the regime’s restrictions on women’s education. Despite worsening conditions in Afghanistan, the country’s cricket board (ACB) continues to enjoy full member privileges in the International Cricket Council (ICC) while being unable to support women’s cricket.
Back in the UK, nearly 200 MPs urged the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) to boycott the Champions Trophy fixture, but the board resisted, citing the need for collective action. The British government supported this stance, calling on the ICC to enforce its own regulations. However, meaningful action remains elusive, as global politics complicate the issue. India, for instance, has recently engaged in diplomatic discussions with the Taliban, including talks on strengthening sports cooperation, signaling that the regime values the men’s team as a tool of soft power.
The ICC’s response hinges largely on India’s position, given its dominant influence in world cricket. Its chair, Jay Shah, son of India’s home minister, holds significant sway over decision-making. While the ICC requires full members to have an active women’s program, Afghanistan was granted membership in 2017 with the expectation of developing one. Now entrenched as a full member, there appears to be no mechanism to enforce compliance or impose sanctions.
The ECB and Cricket Australia, which have suspended bilateral matches against Afghanistan, are advocating for a portion of the ACB’s $17 million ICC disbursement to be placed in escrow until conditions improve. Another proposal suggests redirecting ICC development funds to support Afghan women’s cricketers who have fled the country. The ECB has also called for recognizing an Afghanistan Women’s Refugee Team.
So far, progress has been slow. The MCC Foundation has contributed £100,000 to a refugee cricketer fund, and Cricket Australia has supported Afghan women in exile, but these remain small steps. Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s share of Asian Cricket Council revenues has actually increased under Shah’s leadership.
Some within the cricketing world fear that punishing Afghanistan could set a precedent that might bring scrutiny to other full members’ gender policies. Others argue that keeping Afghanistan in international cricket ensures ongoing discussion about the issue. ECB chief executive Richard Gould acknowledged that every time Afghanistan’s men play, these questions will arise, keeping the spotlight on the country’s situation.
Afghanistan’s rise in men’s cricket is a remarkable story, but with half its population denied the opportunity to play, the sport’s governing bodies are facing uncomfortable questions.
