Cricket's governing body faces pressure to ban Afghanistan cricket amid rising issues

The Cricket’s governing body is under huge pressure to ban Afghanistan cricket due to mounting human rights issues. To add more, ever since the Taliban took over governance, the World Body has been under pressure to decide as women’s cricketers have faded, and men’s stars finding it difficult to make a comeback. 

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However, the male stars are doing beyond par at present and they would take part in their third 50-over World Cup later this year which is scheduled to take place in India. With human rights under question and Taliban placing ban on women's cricketers, Cricket’s governing body is under humongous pressure to decide at the earliest. 

The Cricket’s governing body criteria for membership 2.2 (a) (i) states that a country must have an appropriate status, structure and facility to be a member of the board. With all of these getting affected, it would be a huge take for the board to take a strong decision against the Afghan board. 

Could Afghanistan play against Australia in future?

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“Have the appropriate status, structure, recognition, membership and competence to be recognized by the Cricket’s governing body as the primary governing body responsible for the administration, management and development of cricket (men's and women's) in its country,” the Membership Criteria 2.2 (a) (i) states. 

For the unversed, recently, the Australian cricket board, Cricket Australia (CA) announced its withdrawal from the series against Afghanistan citing various reasons. Angered by the same, several cricketers from the country and other countries voiced out against CA claiming that it was an unwanted decision, mixing politics into cricket. 

“CA is committed to supporting growing the game for women and men around the world, including in Afghanistan. We will continue to engage with the Afghanistan Cricket Board in anticipation of improved conditions for women and girls in the country,” Cricket Australia said in a statement. 

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It remains to be seen if the fortunes would change for the country in the game days, although one could understand that the players are the ones who get affected the most. If at all the World Body bans the Afghanistan board, it would come as a harsh decision given that the team have been growing in stature of late.