Sports Under Discrimination: Afghan Women Still Excluded from Cricket

Human Rights Watch has called for the sanctioning of Afghanistan’s national cricket team, linking this issue to the Taliban’s policies of denying women access to sports and education.

In response, the International Cricket Council (ICC) has emphasized that Afghan players should not be punished for policies they are not responsible for.

Human Rights Watch states that as long as women are deprived of their right to education and participation in sports, Afghanistan’s national cricket team should be sanctioned.

Minky Worden, one of the organization’s officials, said in a statement that the Taliban has issued multiple decrees and regulations to deny women their rights, such as access to work and education, and that the Afghanistan Cricket Board is under Taliban control.

The statement also mentioned that the International Criminal Court’s constitution rejects discrimination and exclusion in sports based on gender and race.

Currently, Afghan girls and women are not allowed to participate in cricket or other sports.

Recently, the International Cricket Council responded to the call for sanctions against Afghanistan’s national cricket team, stating that Afghan players would not be penalized for actions they are not responsible for, and that the Afghanistan Cricket Board is not to be held accountable for the Taliban’s policies.