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The Taliban took over the power of Afghanistan through a coupe in the middle of August. Earlier this week, the Taliban announced the formation of a new government.
The coupe wasn’t something that happened overnight. The internal wars have been going on for years between various groups. The country has gone through continuous spells of violence for over 40 years, including military interference by Russia and the USA.
For a nation that was marked on the global map for a major part of its recent history with violence, global wars and terrorism, the emergence of cricket provided a fresh breath. Afghanistan have been an integral part of the cricketing map for almost over a decade now.
The rise from the lower ranks was meteoric and it culminated in the national side gaining Test status in 2017. The citizens have looked up to their cricketers not only as mere athletes but as ambassadors who made a name on the global stage for the nation.
Afghan players have grown in stature over the years as well. Not only the poster boy of the nation, Rashid Khan, but also a whole lot of other players play franchise cricket all over the world, including the Indian Premier League (IPL).
The participation of players from Afghanistan in these leagues is even more than the players from some nations that rank higher like Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
However, the fate of the game in the cricket-crazy nation has suddenly fallen into jeopardy, with the Taliban taking over governance.
The silence about the women's game in Afghanistan is deafening
Spokespersons for the Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) have assured the new administration supports cricket. There have been attempts to negotiate for the scheduled tours to continue after the takeover. But the unease and lack of clarity among the men's cricketers is there for all to see.
More deafening is the silence surrounding the women’s game in the country. The fundamentalist group of Taliban hasn’t ever supported women participating in sports.
After much speculation, the deputy head of the Taliban's cultural commission, Ahmadullah Wasiq, announced on Wednesday that women won’t be allowed to play sports. He told the media that sporting was not necessary for women, as it would expose their bodies to the media.
There wasn’t anything unexpected in this announcement. But it was just a glimmer of hope that still flickered on before being put off.
Drawing similar lines between apartheid in South Africa and the ban of women in sports in Afghanistan
Exclusion of any sort, be it based on race or gender or any other parameter, is not acceptable in the modern world.
The world of cricket faced a similar conundrum during the apartheid era in South Africa. In 1970, the South African authorities asked the touring England side to exclude Basil D’Oliveira, a “Cape Coloured” South Africa, from their side.
What followed was more than two decades of international boycott and sporting isolation for the Proteas. They were finally reinstated by the International Cricket Council (ICC) in 1991 after they moved towards majority rule and a set of changes in policies.
The situation that has panned out in Afghanistan is similar. If discrimination was based on race in South Africa, it is based on gender when it comes to Afghanistan.
All the preparations and dreams of the women’s team have proved to be in vain
Women’s cricket had plenty of hurdles to take off in a country like Afghanistan. The perspective of the general public towards women's participation in sports wasn’t encouraging.
They managed to form a team in 2010 but had to be disbanded four years later. The efforts continued in the background and the decade-long struggle seemed to bear fruit when twenty-five members of the women’s team received central contracts from the ACB in November 2020.
The Afghanistan women’s side received full Test and ODI status soon after from the ICC when it was awarded to all full-member women’s teams in April 2021.
The country was finally on the verge of forming a national side and taking part in the ICC tournaments. But all the preparation and hard work put in by the group has now gone down the drain with the ban on women's sports in the country.
It is a pity that we won’t get to see the Afghan women play at the international arena when women’s cricket is growing and is in dire need of new teams.
ICC needs to suspend Afghanistan’s recognition
The Afghanistan men’s side is scheduled to take part in the T20 World Cup in the UAE. We will also be seeing players like Rashid Khan, Mohammad Nabi, and Mujeeb-ur-Rahman taking part in the IPL before that.
Discussions are also ongoing to schedule a tri-series involving Afghanistan, West Indies and Australia before the T20 World Cup. The ACB is in contact with Cricket Australia to go ahead with a one-off Test in November.
But among all this, it is disappointing that women’s cricket is not at all talked about. Afghanistan women’s team member Roya Samim, who managed to flee the country, alleged last week that the players had sent emails to the ICC seeking help, but went unanswered. Though the ICC denied receiving the e-mails, one must wonder what stops a parent body from trying to help one of its full-member teams in distress.
Under the statute framed by the ICC, they have the authority to suspend a cricket board if there is government interference in its administration. What has happened in Afghanistan doesn’t fall technically into the ambit of this clause. But you must question whether what has happened there is much worse or not.
The right thing for the ICC and the cricketing bodies to do will be to take cognizance of the situation and sever all ties with Afghanistan until the situation is corrected. International recognition must be immediately suspended and players from Afghanistan must not be allowed to participate in leagues around the world.
The right time to take this step is NOW, with the T20 World Cup looming large. If they prevent the Afghanistan men’s team’s participation in the event, it would send a strong message to the administration.
Yes, it might not be entirely fair on the men’s cricketers. But there is no alternative for the global cricketing fraternity to create pressure for their fellow cricketers. When the female counterparts are denied the opportunity, you can’t just be silent spectators to it. After all, if you remain neutral at a time of injustice, you are supporting the oppressor.
If they fail to act now, the ICC might find it hard to answer the women of the nation and the future generation that will question them for their stand at a time of crisis.
This article contains the opinion of the writer and may not reflect Sportskeeda's views.
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