Cricket Scotland said it would not schedule matches against Afghanistan outside International Cricket Council (ICC) events, citing concerns over the treatment of women and girls under the Taliban government and broader human rights issues.
Women’s sport has effectively disappeared in Afghanistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021, while access to education and employment opportunities for women has been severely curtailed.The Taliban regime says they respect women’s rights in accordance with their interpretation of religious law and local customs and that internal matters should be addressed locally.
Scotland’s move aligns with decisions by Cricket Australia and the England and Wales Cricket Board to suspend bilateral ties with Afghanistan, which the ICC made a Full Member in 2017.
“This policy will be kept under review annually or following any significant ICC decision or material change in circumstances,” Cricket Scotland said on Monday.
It added that its decision was based on its commitment to growing women’s and girls’ participation in the sport, as well as the humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.
