Don't succumb to external pressures: Afghanistan condemns CA's postponement of bilateral series

Kabul: A miffed Afghanistan Cricket Board (ACB) on Wednesday asked its Australian counterparts to "not succumb" to pressures from their government, which the South Asian country believes led to the postponement of a bilateral T20 series.

Cricket Australia (CA) on Tuesday postponed a three-match T20 International home series against Afghanistan's men's team in August this year, citing the "worsening" conditions for women and girls in that country.

Responding to CA's move in a strongly-worded letter, the ACB said, "The Afghanistan Cricket Board expresses disappointment over Cricket Australia's decision to postpone yet another bilateral series against Afghanistan and reiterates its stance on neutral and politics-free cricket across the globe.

"ACB advocates for keeping cricket distinct from political influence, considering the game's significance in Afghanistan and its connection to the happiness and joy of the Afghan nation." CA's decision to postpone the upcoming series is the continuation of its tough stand on Afghanistan. CA had cancelled a one-off Test against them in Hobart in November 2021, following which they also postponed a three-match ODI series in the UAE.

The Afghanistan board feels CA is acting on directives from the Australian government, which was requested "not to impose its policies on cricket boards and instead focus on supporting the development of cricket across regions".

"ACB acknowledges the pressures faced by Cricket Australia from the Australian government and emphasises on the importance of addressing such issues through collaborative efforts between the two cricket boards.

"ACB's top management had previously engaged in negotiations with Cricket Australia and proposed exploring alternative solutions instead of publicly announcing withdrawals.

"ACB expresses disappointment over CA's decision to withdraw from Afghanistan for the third time," the board said in the letter.

The three-match T20I series was part of Afghanistan's FTP (Future Tours Programmes) for the ICC 2023-2027 international calendar, which was approved by the ICC in the presence of the CA delegation, who had "agreed to the fixtures at the time", the ACB said.

"This recent withdrawal follows Cricket Australia's previous actions, including withdrawing from a one-off Test match against Afghanistan in 2021 and refusing to play Afghanistan in a three-match ODI series in March 2023 due to government influence.

"ACB urges Cricket Australia to respect and understand its position as a Full Member nation and look for alternative solutions rather than succumbing to external pressures and/or political influences." To conclude, the disappointed board said the ACB remains "committed to negotiating" with the ICC, CA, and other full member countries and "adhering" to the game's apex body's principles to ensure cricket remains free from political influence and supported by all parties involved.

Afghanistan were the only Full Member to not be represented at the Under-19 Women's T20 World Cup in South Africa because the females in the country have been barred from playing cricket.