T20 tour of Afghanistan 2024: Australia yet to commit to neutral tour due to Taliban rule

Australia is yet to make a call on the bilateral T20 series against Afghanistan in August due to continued unease with the human rights situation in the Taliban ruled nation.

Australia’s series against Afghanistan later this year remains up in the air.

Cricket Australia is yet to make a call on whether it will return to bilateral cricket against the troubled nation.

Under the International Cricket Council’s future tours program, the Aussie men are due to face Afghanistan in three away Twenty20 internationals in August.

Security concerns in Afghanistan mean that the series has been earmarked for neutral territory in the United Arab Emirates.

Australian players have been told to plan as though the series will go ahead but there is no guarantee given CA has pulled out of its past two bilateral arrangements against Afghanistan following the return of the Taliban to power in 2021.

The implications of whether the tour proceeds extend beyond the series itself because of a potential overlap between the tour and The Hundred competition in England, for which several Aussie white-ball players are in demand.

Australia played Afghanistan at the World Cup in November but have refused the last two bilateral tours. Picture: Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

It’s understood the CA board is next due to meet in the middle of next month and any decision is likely to need to be ticked off at that level.

Australia has continued to play Afghanistan at ICC events since the Taliban took charge in the war-torn country. CA has distinguished between bilateral series and global tournaments.

The Aussies famously beat Afghanistan in Mumbai during last year’s World Cup on the back of Glenn Maxwell’s stunning double century.

That the match was played at all was controversial. Afghanistan paceman Naveen-ul-Haq insinuated in the lead-up to the match that Cricket Australia was employing a double standard.

“Refusing to play the bilateral series, now it will be interesting to see cricket Australia stand in the World Cup #standards #human rights or 2 points,” Naveen posted on Instagram.

CA had earlier in the year pulled out of a one-day international series against Afghanistan on human rights grounds, particularly concerning the treatment of women and girls. CA consulted with its ethics commissioner before making the call.

Afghanistan's Rashid Khan with David Warner at the T20 World Cup in Australia in 2022. Picture: Brenton EDWARDS / AFP

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

“We thank the Australian Government for its support on this matter.”

A United Nations report released last week found that women in Afghanistan were overwhelmingly against international recognition of the Taliban.

“Women expressed dread and anxiety when asked to consider the possibility of international recognition of the DFA (Taliban),” the report found.

“Around two-thirds (67 per cent) stated that recognition would have a significant impact on their lives.

“Under the current circumstances, it could exacerbate the women’s rights crisis and increase the risk that the DFA would reinforce and expand existing restrictions targeting women and girls.”

The Afghanistan matches would be Australia’s first international commitments following the Twenty20 World Cup in June.

Should the series go ahead, the Aussies would then likely head straight to Ireland and then England for scheduled white-ball series across August and September.

Australia does not have any Test cricket scheduled between the middle of next month and late November.