Cricket Australia responds to Afghanistan call after double standard claim

After being called out publicly by an Afghanistan player for a World Cup double standard, Cricket Australia has weighed in.

Cricket Australia has defended its decision to allow its men’s team to face Afghanistan in the World Cup after cancelling a one-day series against the same opponent on ideological grounds, pointing to prohibitive ICC regulations that shaped CA’s hand on the matter.

The thorny issue of whether Australia should engage with a team representing a nation governed by the repressive Taliban regime reared its head again over the weekend when Afghanistan bowler Naveen-ul-Haq alluded to a supposed double standard from CA ahead of Tuesday’s crunch World Cup clash between the sides at the Wankhede Stadium.

CA earlier this year scrapped three scheduled one-dayers against Afghanistan that would likely have been played in the United Arab Emirates after the Taliban — who returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021 — further limited work and education opportunities for women, including female cricketers.

The series was due to be played after Australia’s tour of India earlier in the year and ahead of a packed schedule including the Ashes tour and for some players, an Indian Premier League campaign.

Afghanistan bowler Naveen-ul-Haq alluded to a supposed double standard from CA. Picture: AFP

The matches were also supposed to be part of the ICC Cricket World Cup Super League which served as qualifiers for the World Cup, although both teams ultimately made the cut.

Afghanistan has won four of its seven matches to emerge as a genuine semi-final threat heading into the latter stages of the World Cup league phase.

Australia is on track to make the semis, but still needs to win one of its final two matches against Afghanistan or Bangladesh to make certain of a berth.

Paceman Naveen took to Instagram on Saturday night to point out a perceived double standard in CA’s decision to scrap the one-dayers earlier in the year but proceed with a World Cup match of considerably higher stakes.

“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 wrote.

CA issued a statement after Naveen’s comments, seeking to justify the decision to go ahead with this game.

“CA made the decision not to proceed with the three match ODI series against Afghanistan in March following the announcement by the Taliban of further restrictions on women‘s rights including education and employment opportunities and the access to parks and gymnasiums,” a CA spokesperson told this masthead.

Australia will face Afghanistan in a crunch World Cup clash on Tuesday at the Wankhede Stadium. Picture: AFP

This decision was taken after widespread consultation and made independently of the ICC and other cricket playing nations.

“There is a distinction between playing bilateral series against Afghanistan which falls under CA control as compared to playing in a World Cup tournament which is an ICC event and subject to their regulations.

“Cricket Australia is proud of its ongoing commitment to providing opportunities for women and girls and female cricketers around the world.“

The World Cup has a history of boycotts and walkovers. In 1996 Australia and the West Indies forfeited matches in Sri Lanka on security grounds, while New Zealand took a similar stance in Kenya in 2003.

In that same World Cup, England handed match points to Zimbabwe after refusing to play a pool match in Harare citing safety concerns. Had England won the match and all other results stayed the same, England would have displaced Zimbabwe in the Super Six stage of that event.

Afghanistan star Rashid Khan threatened to boycott the Big Bash League this season after CA’s call earlier this year but ultimately entered the draft and was retained by the Adelaide Strikers.

Originally published as Cricket Australia responds to Afghanistan call after double standard claim